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Could Elon Musk buy TikTok if it is banned by the U.S. government?

Rumors are swirling that the creator of Tesla could be stepping in to the void left by the banning of one of the U.S.’s downloaded social media apps.

FILE PHOTO: Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X speaks during the Milken Conference 2024 Global Conference Sessions at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 6, 2024.  REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo
David SwansonREUTERS

Elon Musk, the tech billionaire known for his ventures in electric vehicles and space exploration, may be eyeing a new acquisition: TikTok’s US operations. This possibility has emerged as the popular video-sharing app faces a potential ban in the United States due to national security concerns, and the company has been forced to come out and deny the rumors.

“We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction,” a TikTok spokesperson told BBC News.

The US Supreme Court is currently considering a law that would require TikTok to be sold off from its China-based parent company, ByteDance, or face a ban starting January 19, 2025.

Musk’s new boss in government, Donald Trump, has said he does not support a ban of the app should its plea not be overturned in the Supreme Court.

The potential acquisition faces several challenges, including regulatory hurdles and the complexities of separating TikTok’s U.S. operations from its global infrastructure. It’s not even clear if the Federal Trade Commission would support a governmnt official, through Musk’s management of the new DOGE division, controlling the social media app.

Last chance saloon for TikTok

If the deadline is not extended or the ban is not blocked, TikTok warns that it will “cease operations” in the U.S. on January 19. This could result in immediate “darkness” for the platform’s 170 million American users.

While some lawmakers are pushing for an extension, it remains uncertain whether the Biden administration will grant one. Senator Edward Markey has announced plans to propose legislation extending ByteDance’s deadline by 270 days

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