{"id":3323,"date":"2025-04-04T03:04:30","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T03:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/who-might-buy-tiktok-as-ban-deadline-looms-amazon-joins-bidders\/"},"modified":"2025-04-04T03:04:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T03:04:30","slug":"who-might-buy-tiktok-as-ban-deadline-looms-amazon-joins-bidders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/who-might-buy-tiktok-as-ban-deadline-looms-amazon-joins-bidders\/","title":{"rendered":"Who might buy TikTok as ban deadline looms? Amazon joins bidders"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Who might buy TikTok as ban deadline looms? Amazon joins bidders<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"byline-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<div data-testid=\"byline-new\" class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-0 haItSe\">\n<div class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-1 cjDa-dM\"><time datetime=\"2025-04-04T02:16:42.391Z\" class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-2 jViTsK\">44 minutes ago<\/time><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"byline-new-contributors\" class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-12 fcCDwR\">\n<div class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-5 evAEAB\" readability=\"6.5\">\n<div readability=\"8\"><span class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-7 kItaYD\">Lily Jamali<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>BBC tech correspondent, San Francisco<!-- --><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 EXUng\">\n<div data-testid=\"hero-image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/jG997x.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/7306\/live\/9ce54110-0e09-11f0-90cb-6de76cd8d1c0.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/7306\/live\/9ce54110-0e09-11f0-90cb-6de76cd8d1c0.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/7306\/live\/9ce54110-0e09-11f0-90cb-6de76cd8d1c0.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/7306\/live\/9ce54110-0e09-11f0-90cb-6de76cd8d1c0.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/7306\/live\/9ce54110-0e09-11f0-90cb-6de76cd8d1c0.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/7306\/live\/9ce54110-0e09-11f0-90cb-6de76cd8d1c0.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/7306\/live\/9ce54110-0e09-11f0-90cb-6de76cd8d1c0.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/7306\/live\/9ce54110-0e09-11f0-90cb-6de76cd8d1c0.jpg.webp\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Getty Images TikTok's app listing on Apple's App Store displayed on a smartphone on the right of the image, against a backdrop of the American flag.\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 hesJxn\">Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\" readability=\"21.58843537415\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">President Donald Trump says he is &#8220;very close&#8221; to brokering a deal to find a buyer for TikTok, which faces a US ban if its Chinese owner does not sell the app by the weekend.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">A bipartisan law passed by Congress last year mandates TikTok&#8217;s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sell the app. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The platform <!-- -->&#8216;went dark&#8217;<!-- --> for a day in January in the US after the law took effect, until Trump intervened and delayed the ban until 5 April.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The US government has said TikTok poses a threat to national security because Chinese authorities might access its vast trove of user data, which Beijing denies.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2 class=\"sc-518485e5-0 DkKTF\">Who might buy TikTok?<!-- --><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\" readability=\"48.065948002536\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Speaking on Air Force One on Thursday, Trump said &#8220;multiple investors&#8221; were closing in on a deal.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">He also suggested the US could offer a deal where China agrees to approve a TikTok sale in exchange for relief from US tariffs on Chinese imports.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Several potential buyers have cropped up in reports.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\"><b id=\"amazon\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Amazon <!-- --><\/b>has put in a last-minute offer to the White House to acquire TikTok, according to the BBC&#8217;s US partner CBS. Amazon declined to comment.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Trump has said he would be open to selling TikTok to <!-- --><b id=\"oracle-co-founder-larry-ellison\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison<!-- --><\/b>, as well as Elon Musk, although the latter said he had no intention of buying.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Other potential buyers include billionaire <!-- --><b id=\"frank-mccourt,\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Frank McCourt, <!-- --><\/b>together with Canadian businessman <!-- --><b id=\"kevin-o'leary\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Kevin O&#8217;Leary <!-- --><\/b>&#8211; a celebrity investor on Shark Tank, the US version of Dragons&#8217; Den.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\"><b id=\"alexis-ohanian\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Alexis Ohanian<!-- --><\/b>, who co-founded <!-- --><b id=\"reddit\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Reddit<!-- --><\/b>, said in a post on X last month that he had joined Mr McCourt&#8217;s bid.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The biggest YouTuber in the world <!-- --><b id=\"jimmy-donaldson\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Jimmy Donaldson<!-- --><\/b> &#8211; AKA <!-- --><b id=\"mrbeast\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">MrBeast<!-- --><\/b> &#8211; has also said he&#8217;s looking to buy TikTok as part of a group of investors.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\"><b id=\"tim-stokely\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Tim Stokely<!-- --><\/b>, the British founder of <!-- --><b id=\"onlyfans\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">OnlyFans<!-- --><\/b>, has also to offered to buy TikTok under his recently re-launched company, Zoop.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Computing giant <!-- --><b id=\"microsoft\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Microsoft<!-- --><\/b>, private equity giant <!-- --><b id=\"blackstone,\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Blackstone, <!-- --><\/b>venture capital firm <!-- --><b id=\"andreessen-horowitz\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Andreessen Horowitz <!-- --><\/b>and search engine <!-- --><b id=\"perplexity-ai\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">Perplexity AI <!-- --><\/b>are also reportedly in the running for a stake. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The White House has reportedly considered an option whereby ByteDance would keep ownership of TikTok&#8217;s algorithm, but lease it to a new entity operating the video-sharing app within the US.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/jG997x.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/d22a\/live\/3ce03590-d7f9-11ef-87df-d575b9a434a4.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/d22a\/live\/3ce03590-d7f9-11ef-87df-d575b9a434a4.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/d22a\/live\/3ce03590-d7f9-11ef-87df-d575b9a434a4.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/d22a\/live\/3ce03590-d7f9-11ef-87df-d575b9a434a4.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/d22a\/live\/3ce03590-d7f9-11ef-87df-d575b9a434a4.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/d22a\/live\/3ce03590-d7f9-11ef-87df-d575b9a434a4.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/d22a\/live\/3ce03590-d7f9-11ef-87df-d575b9a434a4.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/d22a\/live\/3ce03590-d7f9-11ef-87df-d575b9a434a4.jpg.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Getty Images MrBeast AKA Jimmy Donaldson pictured at an American Football game. He wears a white football shirt with red numbering on the shoulder. He has a short beard and short sandy brown hair.\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 hesJxn\">Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><h2 class=\"sc-518485e5-0 DkKTF\">If there is no deal, will TikTok be banned?<!-- --><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\" readability=\"24.752577319588\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">If no deal is reached by 5 April, the app could once again face a US ban and be pulled from app stores.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Trump <!-- -->signed an executive order<!-- --> in January, which only delayed TikTok&#8217;s ban by 75 days. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">His order did not overturn the ban on the app passed into law by Congress and upheld by the US Supreme Court.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Trump could allow the law to stand, but ask the Department of Justice to continue to ignore it.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The government would effectively be telling Apple and Google they will not be punished for allowing people to download TikTok on to their devices. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">TikTok <!-- -->returned to Google&#8217;s Play Store and Apple&#8217;s App Store in February<!-- -->, after the companies were reportedly told they would not face consequences for hosting it.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Trump has also said he would &#8220;probably&#8221; extend the deadline, if needed<!-- -->.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/jG997x.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/a82d\/live\/343f8870-d32e-11ef-9bab-e1537b3d246b.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/a82d\/live\/343f8870-d32e-11ef-9bab-e1537b3d246b.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/a82d\/live\/343f8870-d32e-11ef-9bab-e1537b3d246b.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/a82d\/live\/343f8870-d32e-11ef-9bab-e1537b3d246b.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/a82d\/live\/343f8870-d32e-11ef-9bab-e1537b3d246b.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/a82d\/live\/343f8870-d32e-11ef-9bab-e1537b3d246b.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/a82d\/live\/343f8870-d32e-11ef-9bab-e1537b3d246b.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/a82d\/live\/343f8870-d32e-11ef-9bab-e1537b3d246b.jpg.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Getty Images Donald Trump stands with a neutral expression on his face.\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 hesJxn\">Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><h2 class=\"sc-518485e5-0 DkKTF\">What other platforms could TikTok users use instead?<!-- --><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\" readability=\"27.356711003628\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">TikTok says it has 170 million US users who spent &#8211; on average &#8211; 51 minutes per day on the app in 2024.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Experts say rivals such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts could benefit if Trump&#8217;s efforts to broker a sale of TikTok don&#8217;t succeed. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">&#8220;Chief marketing officers who we&#8217;ve spoken with confirmed that they will divert their media dollars to Meta and Google if they can no longer advertise on TikTok,&#8221; said Kelsey Chickering, an analyst at market research company Forrester.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Other potential winners include Amazon&#8217;s Twitch, which made its name by hosting livestreams &#8211; a popular feature on TikTok. Twitch is well known particularly to gamers, though its other content is expanding, too. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Other Chinese-owned platforms, <!-- -->such as Xiaohongshu<!-- --> &#8211; known as RedNote among its US users &#8211; have also seen rapid growth in the US and the UK.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Published at Fri, 04 Apr 2025 02:16:42 +0000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who might buy TikTok as ban deadline looms? Amazon joins bidders 44 minutes ago Lily Jamali BBC tech correspondent, San Francisco Getty Images President Donald Trump says he is &#8220;very close&#8221; to brokering a deal to find a buyer for TikTok, which faces a US ban if its Chinese owner does not sell the app&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/who-might-buy-tiktok-as-ban-deadline-looms-amazon-joins-bidders\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Who might buy TikTok as ban deadline looms? Amazon joins bidders<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}