In a recent development, Chinese authorities are reportedly contemplating a potential strategy that could see Elon Musk, the tech tycoon, take over the American operations of TikTok.
This comes in the wake of the Biden administration's ban on the social media platform unless ByteDance, its parent company, disassociates from the app and sells its American operations to a U.S.-based firm. This information was revealed by Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources.
According to The Post Millennial, the report suggests that the Chinese officials might consider selling the app to Musk, who has previously shown his dissatisfaction with content restrictions on social media platforms. ByteDance, however, dismissed these speculations as "pure fiction" when approached by Forbes for a comment.
The deadline for ByteDance to either divest or sell TikTok to a US owner is set for January 19. The company has already begun preparations to close the app if a satisfactory resolution is not reached. Musk's acquisition of Twitter in 2022, which he subsequently renamed X, came after his frustration with content restrictions on the platform peaked following the suspension of The Babylon Bee's account for referring to Biden's Assistant HHS Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, a transgender woman, as a man. Musk eventually purchased the platform for a whopping $44 billion.
ByteDance has categorically stated that it will not allow the algorithm that powers TikTok to be sold to a US company. The company has sought an emergency hearing from the Supreme Court on this matter. The Court heard oral arguments last week, with TikTok's attorneys arguing that the ban infringes on the First Amendment by preventing the company from expressing itself in the US. On the other hand, Department of Justice prosecutors contended that the required divestment for national security reasons does not constitute a free speech issue. The justices, during their questioning, seemed to lean towards the government's argument rather than TikTok's.
TikTok's legal team argued that the Biden administration's restriction was content-based. However, government attorneys countered that it was not a content-based ban. Justice Clarence Thomas pointed out that there was no restriction on the creators on the TikTok platform, i.e., those who were making the speech. TikTok's attorneys countered that because ByteDance would not hand over the algorithm to a new owner, TikTok's free speech, i.e., the algorithm, is being hindered by the government through the forced divestiture.
As of now, the Supreme Court has not issued a ruling in the case, and it remains uncertain whether a decision will be made before the January 19 deadline. This date is significant as it is the day before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president. Trump, who had initially sought to ban the app during his first term as the 45th president, has since reversed his stance on the app, which he utilized extensively during the campaign season. He has urged the Court to halt the ban.
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