Microsoft In Talks To Buy TikTok As Trump Threatens

The New York Times reports:

Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions, as President Trump said on Friday that he was considering taking steps that would effectively ban the app from the United States.

It’s unclear how advanced the talks between Microsoft and TikTok are, but any deal could help alter TikTok’s ownership, said the person with knowledge of the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese internet company that is valued at $100 billion. That has raised scrutiny of the app, with Trump administration officials saying that they have been concerned that TikTok poses a threat to national security.

Breaking News: Microsoft is in talks to buy TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app, as President Trump said on Friday that he was considering taking steps that would effectively ban the app from the U.S. https://t.co/a8jg5DKDT0

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 31, 2020

CONFIRMED; sources say @Microsoft in talks to buy https://t.co/1q4Y8HRbjG

— Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) July 31, 2020