Summary
TikTok went darkafter being bannedover the weekend, completely shutting its services down in the US. But just 12 hours later, it returned with a message saying, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
That’s despite the fact thatthe ban was first put into motion by Donald Trump in 2020when he used emergency economic powers to outlaw any transactions between parent company ByteDance and US citizens, which TikTok said at the time “sets a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression”. The ban was first put in place due to security concerns about data being collected by China. So, ByteDance agreed to divest TikTok to prevent the ban, which Trump agreed to, putting a 45-day hold on any action against the platform.
There was talk at the time of Microsoft buying the social media app.
After Shou Zi Chew appeared at Trump’s inauguration yesterday, Trump announced a similar pause to the ban, giving TikTok 75 days to convince US officials that it isn’t a national security threat. In all likelihood, this will be achieved once again by finding a new buyer, and while there have been rumours and speculation surrounding Meta, bizarrely,YouTuber MrBeasthas announced that he’s making a bid.
MrBeast Took A Private Jet To Make A Bid For TikTok
As reported byDexerto, MrBeast revealed as much on TikTok yesterday, saying, “I’m on a private jet right now about to put in my official offer for this platform. I might become you guys' new CEO. I’m super excited. I wish I could say more about the offer I’m putting in, but I can’t for now. Just know that it’s gonna be crazy.”
There were also rumours that Elon Musk,who purchased Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, was interested in buying out TikTok, but an official representative responded, “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction”.
However, Musk now leads the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (ie DOGE), and the US government itself is interested in purchasing a stake in TikTok. As reported bySky News, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, “I would like the United States to have a 50 percent ownership position in a joint venture.”
So, it’s entirely possible MrBeast and the US Government will end up sharing TikTok, but there are plenty of others interested in buying the platform, with reports even claiming thatformer Activision CEO Bobby Kotickwants in. Time will tell who ends up in charge of the hit video service, as many of these possible buyers have not commented publicly yet.
