Chinese authorities are reportedly considering the possibility of selling the U.S. operations of TikTok to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk as a contingency plan, should the popular app face an outright ban in the United States.
This follows national security issues about TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and its ties to the Chinese government.
Reports reveal that Beijing prefers TikTok to remain under ByteDance’s control. However, discussions about alternative outcomes have begun as pressure increases in the U.S., where a Supreme Court ruling could enforce a ban on TikTok by 19 January.
ByteDance has been challenging the ban, arguing that it infringes on constitutional free speech protections, but signs from the court say the law is likely to be upheld.
A possible scenario under consideration involves Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), taking over TikTok’s U.S. operations, allowing the two platforms to collaborate on managing the app’s large American user base and advertising prospects.
China’s government reportedly holds a “golden share” in ByteDance, a factor that U.S. lawmakers have noted as a possible means for Beijing to influence TikTok’s operations.
While it’s still unknown how much ByteDance is aware of these discussions, there is no confirmed engagement between TikTok, Musk, and Chinese officials regarding such a deal. A TikTok representative dismissed the reports as speculative, stating, “We cannot comment on unfounded claims.”
The stakes are high, as a U.S. ban would prevent Apple and Google from offering TikTok on their app stores for new downloads. While current users could retain access for a time, lack of support services would eventually render the app ineffective.
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