Oh, the TikTok saga continues. Just when you thought the drama was over, here comes another plot twist. So, Trump is back in the White House, and guess what? He’s got a sudden change of heart about TikTok. Remember when he was all about banning it? Well, now he’s playing the hero, vowing to “save” the app. How noble.
The latest deal on the table involves Oracle taking over TikTok’s algorithm, data collection, and software updates. Because, you know, nothing says “secure” like handing over your data to a business-oriented software company. And let’s not forget, ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, still gets to hold a minority stake. Because why not keep a foot in the door?
According to a report from NPR, Trump’s administration is facilitating talks between potential U.S. buyers and ByteDance. Microsoft is also in the mix, but Walmart? They’re sitting this one out. Apparently, TikTok’s asking price is a bit too steep for them. Shocking, right?
We’ve already been through this song and dance when Microsoft had to awkwardly issue statements of interest after the Trump admin tapped the company as a potential buyer for TikTok back in 2019. Here we are four years later and not much has seemed to change.
When Trump’s initial attempt to force ByteDance to divest and sell to Microsoft, CEO Satya Nadella admitted that the deal was “the strangest thing” he had ever worked on, in part because owning a social media site was well outside of Microsoft’s expertise as a cloud and software service provider.
Yet here we are again with the Trump admin bringing Microsoft back into the fold as part of a potential coalition of buyers who could help dilute ByteDance’s presence in the social media app, enough to appease the so-far, undisclosed fears of the US national security community.
Meanwhile, TikTok users in the U.S. are stuck in limbo. The app was removed from Apple and Google’s mobile app stores, and even though Trump signed an executive order granting a 75-day extension, the app still can’t push updates or fixes. So, if you want to reinstall TikTok or install it on a new device, tough luck.
The TikTok ban has become a five-year mess amid the political turmoil in the US with neither Trump nor Biden administrations communicating a clear plan on what to do with the social media platform. Furthermore, Congress and the Supreme Court have made decisions on what to do with public utility without ever explaining to the public why changes need to occur.
As of now, every move, by almost every regulator and politician feels arbitrary due to lack of transparency or planning.
But hey, at least Trump is making a decision within the next 30 days. Because, you know, he’s got a stellar track record of making well-thought-out decisions. So, grab your popcorn and stay tuned. This TikTok drama is far from over.
