Microsoft Reportedly in Talks to Acquire TikTok

Microsoft is once again being linked to a potential acquisition of TikTok, as former President Donald Trump confirmed that the tech giant is in discussions regarding the social media platform’s future. The news follows ongoing pressure on TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations due to national security concerns.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump stated that Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok, adding that he would welcome a competitive bidding process for the platform. Neither Microsoft nor TikTok has publicly commented on the matter. The discussion comes after TikTok was briefly taken offline ahead of the enforcement of a law requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. business or face a ban, which took effect on January 19. This was later delayed by Trump himself – with the platform being restored – in the hopes of TikTok being acquired instead.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has been involved in TikTok acquisition talks. In 2020, during Trump’s first term, the company was among the frontrunners to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations after a similar divestment order. However, those discussions ultimately collapsed, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella later describing the experience as “the strangest thing I’ve ever worked on.”

In addition to Microsoft, other potential buyers have surfaced, including AI startup Perplexity AI, which recently proposed a merger with TikTok that would grant the U.S. government a stake in the new company. Meanwhile, Trump has also expressed openness to Elon Musk purchasing the app, though Musk has not publicly responded to the idea. So far, it’s not clear what TikTok’s future fate will be, but multiple parties clearly have a vested interest in owning the platform.