U.S. President Donald Trump discussed potential talks with Microsoft over acquiring TikTok in a Jan. 27 interview. Trump reportedly wants to see a bidding war for the popular app, while Microsoft declined to comment. TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, faces restrictions under U.S. law until it sells or is banned. The law takes effect on Feb. 19 after Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement by 75 days.
Earlier this week, Trump hinted at being open to buying TikTok, though he hasn’t publicly disclosed details. Microsoft tried to acquire TikTok in 2020 but the talks fell apart shortly after. A new AI startup also proposed a merger with TikTok, potentially offering up to half of the company to ByteDance if approved by the U.S. government. This marks the second time Microsoft has been linked to the acquisition.
Trump’s administration during his first term separated TikTok’s U.S. operations from ByteDance due to national security concerns. Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, described the deal as “strangest thing” and expressed confusion over its sudden end. The Technology Roundup newsletter provides the latest updates on tech trends.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/trump-says-microsoft-is-talks-acquire-tiktok-2025-01-28