Discussion

• @kriticalvodka Lahiru Perera on x

  Facebook is just going to have a field day with their copycat platform. https://twitter.com/...

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  nothing has changed from what is happening in this story this morning, per people familiar with the situation. the deal is “on the table” and up to the White House to make a decision. https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @alexstamos Alex Stamos on x

  @MikeIsaac This is getting bizarre. A 100% sale to an American company would have been considered a radical solution two weeks ago and, eventually, mitigates any reasonable data protection concerns. If the White House kills this we know this isn't about national security.

• @chellaney Brahma Chellaney on x

  An Example of Transactional Myopia: Trump's threat to ban TikTok is increasingly appearing as a negotiating tactic to force its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to make more concessions to Microsoft, which is seeking to buy at least the US operations of TikTok. https://www.wsj.com/...

• @mdudas Mike Dudas on x

  So @POTUS, proven to be one of the worst grifters and businessmen on Earth, gets to dictate by fiat which American company is allowed to buy @tiktok_us. What an absolute disgrace... https://www.wsj.com/...

• @danprimack Dan Primack on x

  What no one — including MSFT and ByteDance — seem to know: What Trump actually wants. Is this about data? Is it about personal animus? Is it about jobs? Is it just anti-China red meat? Does Trump even know the underlying issues? They don't know how to get him to yes.

• @samharrelson Sam Harrelson on x

  Fascinating intersection of pop culture, tech, economics, and politics here... If TikTok does get banned in the US (which in itself would be an interesting project), there are going to be a lot of angry people. And the tech world should take notice of the slippery slope here. htt…

• @vermontgmg Garrett M. Graff on x

  Totally natural in a free market capitalist society for companies to take their lead from the whims of the national leader.... https://twitter.com/...

• @niubi Bill Bishop on x

  Tiktok will probably be a lot cheaper for Microsoft but the end of the week. Brutal, will Zhang yiming blame the loss of many billions of dollars solely on trump and the us, or will he understand the ccp shares much of the blame? https://twitter.com/...

• @michaelcbender Michael C. Bender on x

  Talks for Microsoft to buy TikTok's U.S. operations have been paused as companies seek clarity from the White House https://www.wsj.com/...

• @karaswisher Kara Swisher on x

  As usual, Trump muddies the waters: Talks for Microsoft to buy TikTok's U.S. operations have been paused as companies seek clarity from the White House https://www.wsj.com/...

• @jessicalessin Jessica Lessin on x

  Scoop from me on the Microsoft-TikTok talks being on ice. More coming soon.. https://www.theinformation.com/ ...

• @danprimack Dan Primack on x

  Well, tbh... there isn't anything to negotiate right now. At least there wasn't this morning while Trump was on the golf course. https://twitter.com/...

• @windowscentral @windowscentral on x

  🚨 Microsoft buying TikTok? Rumor is Redmond is in talks to do just that. (Nope, this isn't a joke.) https://www.windowscentral.com/ ...

• @geoffreyfowler Geoffrey A. Fowler on x

  Looking forward to Microsoft TikTok https://twitter.com/...

• @danprimack Dan Primack on x

  Source tells me Trump “as a deal on his desk” whereby Bytedance would sell 100% of TikTok to MSFT. Unclear if current VC shareholders would roll over into it. This is what they thought he wanted.

• @alexia Alexia Bonatsos on x

  Microsoft is in TikTalks.

• @joannastern Joanna Stern on x

  The OG Charli D'Amelio https://twitter.com/...

• @levynews Ari Levy on x

  Gates and Ballmer practically created TikTok https://twitter.com/...

• @tomwarren Tom Warren on x

  Microsoft buying TikTok? I'm only interested if we are gonna get more TikTok videos like this https://twitter.com/...

• @alexstamos Alex Stamos on x

  1) I continue to be wary of forcing a sale of TikTok without data protection laws they could try to follow. 2) Microsoft would face a real challenge technically forking from ByteDance 3) MSFT has one of the best child safety teams, which is a larger risk on TikTok right now https…

• @mikeelgan Mike Elgan on x

  The Sarah Cooper theory about why Trump wants to ban TikTok. https://www.vogue.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @wongmjane Jane Manchun Wong on x

  I feel like Facebook would've been interested to buying TikTok if it wasn't under the antitrust probe https://www.reuters.com/...

• @alexstamos Alex Stamos on x

  TikTok OEM Edition (comes pre-installed on your Dell laptop with a dozen unnecessary pieces of shovelware and is immediately replaced by a clean image of your TikTok Enterprise site license)

• @alexstamos Alex Stamos on x

  Tik 365- Click to Run x64 (totally separate from the embedded UWP installer) TikTok Enterprise E5 (comes with Advanced Threat Protection monitoring every syscall needed to generate an AI dance squad behind the user)

• @alexstamos Alex Stamos on x

  TikTok 2021 - Home Edition SP2 RTM Project Amber - Azure Tik Tok Streaming Synapse Analytics TikTok Series Tik

• @robertwrighter Robert Wright on x

  Whatever he's saying now, I'm betting Trump will proudly take credit if Microsoft indeed winds up buying TikTok. He'll say he coerced the Chinese into putting TikTok into American hands. https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @jonerlichman Jon Erlichman on x

  Microsoft's biggest acquisitions: Linkedin: $26.2 billion Skype: $8.5 billion GitHub: $7.5 bilion Nokia phone unit: $7.2 billion aQuantive: $6.3 billion Mojang (Minecraft): $2.5 billion Visio: $1.5 billion Navision: $1.5 billion Yammer: $1.2 billion https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @niubi Bill Bishop on x

  ByteDance in terrible negotiating position. only us firms that can really afford it & have tech chops rebuild a prc-free backend r Microsoft, amazon, google & Facebook. The last 2 would have antitrust issues, not clear amzn interested. So only hope is msft, so should get bargain …

• @walldo Brandon Wall on x

  Ya, see also: “a source familiar with conversations between the administration and TikTok told BuzzFeed News that Trump is looking for a win, and trying to force one by ensuring the company's US operations would be 100% US-owned.” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ... https://twitter…

• @jacksondahl Jackson on x

  Thinking: What is Trump's motive to ban TikTok over forcing a complete acquisition to a US company. Assuming a complete divest, wouldn't it be definitively in Trump's interest to force the latter? Not that I believe Trump typically acts rationally (or at least unemotionally).. ht…

• @tomgara Tom Gara on x

  Also, TikTok will put Microsoft right into the thick of the Great Moderation War, which is maybe the worst PR / regulatory quagmire the tech industry has experienced in decades, and one Microsoft has managed to almost entirely stay out of

• @tomgara Tom Gara on x

  (It could also have two billion users in five years! But just seems way riskier, and in a much more ephemeral and unpredictable space than anything else Microsoft is used to playing in)

• @tomgara Tom Gara on x

  This Reuters report makes fairly clear what's really going on: TikTok is close to a deal to sell to Microsoft, the Chinese owners were haggling over trying to retain a small stake, Trump's threat to ban was just a blustery negotiating tactic https://www.reuters.com/...

• @sherman4949 Alex Sherman on x

  I was also told yesterday that the deal Microsoft was talking about was 100% of TikTok. This is a big deal - billions of dollars at stake. https://www.cnbc.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @tomwarren Tom Warren on x

  Reuters reporting that TikTok owner ByteDance has offered the US a deal that involves Microsoft taking ownership of TikTok in the US. Up to the White House to decide now, but I hope Microsoft doesn't announce this during the FA Cup final 😅 https://www.reuters.com/... https://twit…

• @vladsavov Vlad Savov on x

  The US is such a lover of free enterprise that its president is holding a gun against TikTok's head and telling ByteDance “sell it or it dies.” https://www.reuters.com/...

• @charlesarthur Charles Arthur on x

  “Please join my professional network on TikTok (and, optionally, Minecraft)” https://twitter.com/...

• @carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x

  The fact that Microsoft wasn't in this week's antitrust hearing means they're the only big tech company with both the money & optics to buy TikTok without issues. Satya truly the GOAT tech CEO if he pulls this off. https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @senblumenthal Richard Blumenthal on x

  This potential Microsoft takeover should not distract us from the need to crack down on insidious spying & surveillance by TikTok, Zoom, & other Chinese companies. I've asked that the DOJ investigate & take action against them to protect our national security & consumer privacy. …

• @danprimack Dan Primack on x

  Seems to me that Bytedance/TikTok may have dodged a bullet if the only fed action is divestment, instead of ban.

• @caseynewton Casey Newton on x

  Microsoft appears to be on the cusp of owning a cradle-to-grave social network: Minecraft —> TikTok —> Excel

• @mattnavarra Matt Navarra on x

  Microsoft would own TikTok U.S and LinkedIn. 😬 https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @alexstamos Alex Stamos on x

  Two more thoughts on MSFT+TikTok: 1) What options would MSFT have for getting out of TikTok's just-signed, huge contract with Google Cloud? 2) This makes more sense if you consider that Microsoft just tried and failed to go up against Twitch using an internally built product.

• @willoremus Will Oremus on x

  I have an idea, let's take the one giant tech company that *isn't* the subject of a major federal antitrust investiagion, and hand it the fastest-growing social media property in the world. https://twitter.com/...

• @levie Aaron Levie on x

  This would definitely be tech industry altering. https://twitter.com/...

• @mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x

  Pretty steep price to get them to develop a Windows Phone app... https://twitter.com/...

• @lanceulanoff Lance Ulanoff on x

  I can't imagine that Microsoft is the only company looking at TikTok. Apple, Amazon, Facebook must also be in the mix or at least talking about it. https://twitter.com/...

• @collision John Collison on x

  There is, of course, an active Excel subculture on TikTok. Synergies are really obvious. https://vm.tiktok.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @gartenberg Michael Gartenberg on x

  Microsoft buying TikTok is a great idea, could complement Mixer quite well.

• Vox Shirin Ghaffary on x

  The TikTok-Trump drama, explained

• @kaitlancollins Kaitlan Collins on x

  President Trump announces to reporters on Air Force One that he's banning TikTok.

• @jolingkent Jo Ling Kent on x

  In a statement, TikTok spox Hilary McQuaide responded to Pres @realDonaldTrump.. saying US user data is stored in the US “with strict controls on employee access” and “100 million Americans come to TikTok for entertainment and connection, especially during the pandemic.”

• @maggienyt Maggie Haberman on x

  POTUS made clear he is against proposed spinoff of Tik Tok with a resale to Microsoft or another company.

• @andyostroy Andy Ostroy on x

  You think #TikTok kids punked @realDonaldTrump on his #TulsaRally? Just wait till Election Day... #Trump #Election2020 https://www.nbcnews.com/...

• @nbcnightlynews @nbcnightlynews on x

  President Trump's threatened TikTok ban could motivate young users to vote, some say. “It kind of feels like our freedom of speech is being taken away,” says 18-year-old Anekha Singh. “Our ability to express ourselves is something he doesn't want.” https://www.nbcnews.com/...

• @williamturton William Turton on x

  deeply confused that people are taking Trump at his word when he says he is going to “ban” TikTok....clearly that is not what's happening here, and it wouldn't be the first time Trump doesn't understand what the federal government is actually doing

• @nycsouthpaw Southpaw on x

  Wait - Don't we need to take account of the exceptions to the president's authority under IEEPA that are manifestly designed to prohibit him from interfering with personal communication, information exchange, or artistic expression? https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @joshconstine Josh Constine -SignalFire on x

  100 million users are up for grabs if TikTok is banned. Who'll win? -Dubsmash: Where dance trends start (#72) -Byte: Vine reboot for millennial comedy (#2) -Triller: Hollywood asks “How do you do, fellow kids?” (#1) I rank them here: https://constine.substack.com/ ... https://twi…

• @kalhanr Kalhan on x

  TikTokers told me they're worried Trump's ban will eliminate communities they rely on, especially during quarantine. It also could motivate them to vote. “This will definitely be a game-changer in young voters,” one teen said. My latest for @NBCNews: https://www.nbcnews.com/...

• @verge @verge on x

  Update: TikTok US General Manager Vanessa Pappas says in a video this morning: “we're here for the long run” https://www.theverge.com/...

• @nickmensio Nick Mensio on x

  That's it. Final straw. #Biden2020 https://twitter.com/...

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  325 million views and counting on #tiktokban videos https://vm.tiktok.com/...

• @hkesvani @hkesvani on x

  The White House is going to war with the Hype House https://twitter.com/...

• @taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x

  TikTok teens are making memes saying they'll show up at the White House to confront Trump over app ban https://www.insider.com/...

• @davidhogg111 @davidhogg111 on x

  Banning AR-15s > banning Tiktok

• @pkafka Peter Kafka on x

  I think that this is a case where the President is not correct. https://twitter.com/...

• @hacks4pancakes Lesley Carhart on x

  Oh good. #VPN is trending. We've managed to actually make the security and privacy situation worse than millions of people just having TikTok installed.

• @cwarzel Charlie Warzel on x

  10 million times this https://twitter.com/...

• @sherman4949 Alex Sherman on x

  TikTok shares video saying “we're not planning on going anywhere” and “we're here for the long run” while touting US job creation and safety/security and urging creators to keep sharing their voice with TikTok https://vm.tiktok.com/...

• @kerrymflynn @kerrymflynn on x

  👀 “We're not planning on going anywhere.” - TikTok GM @v_ness in a message to the community https://vm.tiktok.com/...

• @natashabertrand Natasha Bertrand on x

  “Trump's threat to ban TikTok came a few weeks after reports that many TikTok users had tried to sabotage a Trump campaign rally by requesting tickets they never planned to use and coordinated a push to flood Trump's campaign app with negative reviews”....https://www.bloomberg.co…

• @benthompson Ben Thompson on x

  As I also note in that article, I do in fact favor a spin-off to a non-Chinese company, and only see a ban as a last resort. I would like to see TikTok develop into a Facebook rival in particular. But the current ownership structure is an insane risk for the US to take.

• @benthompson Ben Thompson on x

  “Trump is banning TikTok because of Tulsa” is a classic example of the right thing being done for the right reasons but perhaps the wrong motivations. Folks really need to get past the third point and realize that the second matters: ByteDance answers to the CCP.

• @nailogical @nailogical on x

  So in Canada u now get free healthcare AND free TikTok https://twitter.com/...

• @mattyglesias Matthew Yglesias on x

  I've seen a lot of overconfident pronouncements that Trump can't ban TikTok. Presidents have tons of discretionary authority around foreign trade, foreign investment, international financial transactions, etc.

• @firstadopter Tae Kim on x

  100 million Americans using TikTok is a new number from the company. As recently as July 10, TikTok said just “tens of millions of Americans” used their service. Several analyst estimates were around 45 million https://twitter.com/...

• @danprimack Dan Primack on x

  Facebook entered the week worried that D.C. is moving toward trying to break it up, claiming it stifles competition and innovation. It ends the week with D.C. offering to eliminate its greatest upstart competition in the U.S., with FB giving nothing in return.

• @jimmysecuk Jimmy on x

  I guess the Chinese government could reciprocate by threatening to ban Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook from the Chinese domestic market. 🙃 https://twitter.com/...

• @michaelpfreeman Michael Freeman on x

  Tougher on Sarah Cooper than on Russia putting a bounty on U.S. soldiers. https://twitter.com/...

• @levie Aaron Levie on x

  Someone's about to make a gajillion dollars cloning TikTok in the US. https://twitter.com/...

• @mims Christopher Mims on x

  Good news for Facebook's TikTok clone within Instagram, Reels https://twitter.com/...

• @vikramsathaye Vikram Sathaye on x

  If Microsoft buys it and gets jobs for locals then decision will be reversed for sure , in India also. https://twitter.com/...

• @jakeholla Jake Holland on x

  still big mad about Tulsa, huh? https://twitter.com/...

• @iamaliceophelia Alice Ophelia on x

  the 👑 of bass @bludetiger (y'all remember her Savage cover?!) trying to figure it out: https://twitter.com/...

• @curtmega Curt Mega on x

  Thank God the U.S. is really stepping up and taking swift action against the biggest threats that face our country. I am, of course, referring to TikTok. https://www.google.com/...

• @nikitabier Nikita Bier on x

  This Tiktok ban is somewhat inspiring. For the first time, we are insisting on symmetrical internet policy with China. For all these years, I never understood how we simply accepted a reality where China could ban our apps without reciprocity.

• @loudmouthjulia Julia Alexander on x

  As @TaylorLorenz rightly pointed out, top tier talent can navigate it (often with the help of talent reps, agencies, marketing, PR, etc). But majority of creators are platform specific. It's difficult learning how to game one platform's algorithm/ecosystem, let alone three/four.

• @rabois Keith Rabois on x

  US law currently doesn't allow foreigners (even British) to own commercial airlines. Threat posed by app/data ownership is > greater.

• @suhaunah @suhaunah on x

  Speaking to reporters on Air Force One Friday night, Trump said a ban of TikTok was imminent—w/ action as early as Saturday—to be imposed by exec order or emergency economic powers. “I have that authority,” he said (tho experts say it's not clear he does) https://www.latimes.com/…

• @kyurieff Kaya Yurieff on x

  TikTok creators are going live + posting videos about the ban and asking their fans to follow them on Instagram and other social platforms. Much like when the Trump admin initially said it was looking into a TikTok ban: https://www.cnn.com/...

• @eggroli Jason Wong on x

  The potential ban on Tiktok is a harsh reminder that we're all living on rented land Creators not only need to diversify their social channels, but take ownership over their career by starting a business so they're not depending their income on something that could be gone tmr

• @loudmouthjulia Julia Alexander on x

  it's going to be super ~something~ watching people who don't use tiktok talk about nothing but tiktok for the next little while, huh

• @rmac18 @rmac18 on x

  New update: TikTok declined to comment on if it'd take legal action against the Trump admin if there's an executive order that's used to ban the app. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...

• @_danielsinclair Daniel Sinclair on x

  I would expect Apple to be in the line of fire if China retaliates https://twitter.com/...

• @ahmedbaba_ Ahmed Baba on x

  I'm sure the reasoning for Trump wanting to ban TikTok was 100% due to his very deep concerns about Chinese surveillance of US citizens and has nothing to do with the fact TikTok users helped sabotage his Tulsa rally and @sarahcpr uses TikTok and goes viral mocking him.

• @seldo Laurie Voss on x

  It is really weird that none of the coverage of Trump's desire to ban TikTok mentions that TikTok was credited with ruining his Tulsa rally and that he is still really mad about that. https://www.cnbc.com/...

• @laurenweinstein Lauren Weinstein on x

  Trump is pissed off because of the (somewhat dubious) claims that TikTok users wrecked his Tulsa rally. He doesn't give a damn about Chinese “espionage,” etc. He just starts ranting when he doesn't get a cut.

• @wongmjane Jane Manchun Wong on x

  This TikTok ban is gonna piss off many teens, especially the underage ones, many of which probably won't vote for Trump this fall

• @tsuvik Vikas SN on x

  @zittrain @TaylorLorenz In India, TikTok voluntarily took down the apps from Google Play Store & Apple App Store as well as shutting down the service entirely. Not accessible via VPNs as well. For other apps that were banned, Google & Apple have blocked access to the apps https:/…

• @joannastern Joanna Stern on x

  @film_girl Already been taught. VPN instructions for how to watch Friends when it went off Netflix were all over TikTok!

• @profjeffjarviss @profjeffjarviss on x

  Biden *must* come out with a strong new TikTok dance — tonight.

• @p_money Pete on x

  A lot of record label marketing budgets are toast next week https://twitter.com/...

• @reckless Nilay Patel on x

  Y'all it's uh harder than it sounds. Trump just says shit https://www.theverge.com/...

• @_danielsinclair Daniel Sinclair on x

  What would a U.S. ban look like? It depends how it is implemented, but U.S. enterprises would likely quickly break off relationships. There would be no censorship, but TikTok would disappear from Apple's App Store and Google Play. Then AWS would wind down ByteDance as a customer.…

• @ronnehring Ron Nehring on x

  Sincere questions: - Source of exec authority to ban a social media platform? App? - What special risk posed by #TikTok vs laptop, router, phone all made in China? - Why not ban every app and platform from any company with a presence in China? - Why oppose sale to Microsoft?

• @pranavdixit @pranavdixit on x

  When the Indian government banned TikTok and other Chinese apps, TikTok voluntarily pulled its app from the App Store and Play Store and started showing this notice in the app. Curious what a “ban” in the US is going to look like. https://twitter.com/...

• @karaswisher Kara Swisher on x

  This is deep in my long thread, but let me make this dead clear: Banning TikTok and then oddly enough not allowing a decent solution like an IPO here in the US or being bought by a US company is a THANK YOU gift to Mark Zuckerberg from Donald Trump. Or should I say Spasibo? 🇷🇺 ht…

• @sarahfrier Sarah Frier on x

  so as the US government pursues a probe of Facebook for antitrust the president wants to ban their fastest-growing competitor from operating in their most profitable market

• @daniel_rubino Daniel Rubino on x

  lol k Still takes a week+ to get COVID test results, 230K+ estimated dead by Nov, the economy is crashing, people are being evicted, but hey, we're saved from silly videos! https://twitter.com/...

• @taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x

  News is spreading abt the ban through all the TikToker group chats rn. Everyone is going live encouraging fans to follow them elsewhere on social media https://twitter.com/...

• @franklinleonard Franklin Leonard on x

  How much can I pay a reporter to ask as a follow up to this whether he intends to ban OnlyFans? https://twitter.com/...

• @tessplease @tessplease on x

  trump's desire to ban tiktok has nothing to do with its privacy violations. it has to do with gen z's ability to make waves on it. he's trying to sweep their platform from beneath them. now's a good time for a new platform to step in, one run by a diverse team of sensitive folks.…

• @karaswisher Kara Swisher on x

  This is national security issue, so the White House has much more power than its usual goofy and ultimately toothless declarations such as around Section 230.

• @kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x

  Just as Microsoft was about to get cool https://twitter.com/...

• @levie Aaron Levie on x

  We're all out here playing checkers and Zuck is playing chess. https://twitter.com/...

• @joshconstine Josh Constine -SignalFire on x

  Trump says he's banning TikTok rather than let Microsoft buy it. Uncortunately, this keeps China in control of the app's global cultural influence, even in not in the US

• @panzer Matthew Panzarino on x

  teens VPN-ing INTO China rather than out of it was, unfortunately actually on my 2020 bingo card

• @yashar @yashar on x

  Keep in mind this is happening days ahead of Instagram/Facebook launching a competitor to TikTok called REELS https://twitter.com/...

• @scottnover Scott Nover on x

  It doesn't matter what he says. He cannot legally “terminate” a company. https://twitter.com/...

• @jenniferjjacobs Jennifer Jacobs on x

  “As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “Soon. Immediately. I mean essentially immediately.” “I will sign the document tomorrow,” he said..

• @davidshepardson @davidshepardson on x

  Remarkable turn of events. Trump wants to ban 80 million Americans from using TikTok https://twitter.com/...

• @karaswisher Kara Swisher on x

  That said, there's a lot of irrational damage Trump can do here since this is hard to litigate & he can throw a lot of crazy law at it related to foreign companies. That said, there're also those involved who would support a US IPO or sale to a US company. A giant mess as usual.

• @willoremus Will Oremus on x

  I wrote earlier this month about how to tell if a call to ban TikTok is in good faith: whether it also addresses the real security risks posed by U.S. social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter: https://onezero.medium.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @karaswisher Kara Swisher on x

  Let's be clear, just because he says he can do something does not mean he can. And he also cannot decree by fiat whether a US company can or cannot buy something. There is a process here and last time I looked this dude was not a king and this is not like his reality show. https:…

• @peard33 Paresh Dave on x

  President Trump says he will ban TikTok from the U.S. as soon as Saturday, @alexalper reports

• @thegrugq Thaddeus E. Grugq on x

  Dude is still fuming about Tulsa and those meddling kids https://twitter.com/...

• @benjaminnorton Ben Norton on x

  The new cold war on China is already proving to be profitable for US corporations: The Trump admin has been trying to repress TikTok, because it is owned by a Chinese company (the horror!), so now Microsoft is exploiting it as an opportunity to buy TikTok https://www.nytimes.com/…

• @alexstamos Alex Stamos on x

  If US politicians are concerned about PRC surveillance capabilities being enhanced by Chinese-run apps, then WeChat should absolutely be on the top of that list. Likely one of the most important global mass surveillance tools in the MSS/PLA arsenal.

• @nic__carter Nic Carter on x

  Writing is on the wall; capital markets relationships between the US and China will be severed. US taking umbrage with Chinese shareholders exerting influence at American firms & at retail investor losses on US-listed Chinese firms w/ dodgy accounting https://twitter.com/...

• @hawleymo Josh Hawley on x

  Big news if accurate - and exactly the right outcome. #China-based @BytedanceTalk should not own tech companies in the United States https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @rachelbovard Rachel Bovard on x

  Lol that TikTok spent the last month hiring every single former congressional leadership staffer to stop stuff like this. https://twitter.com/...

• @kellymakena Makena Kelly on x

  Here's how TikTok is responding to Trump's reported impending order and news that Microsoft could be a potential buyer: https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @hshaban Hamza Shaban on x

  Facebook still stands to gain in this scenario If one of the tech giants buys TikTok, Zuckerberg can switch from “Look at TikTok, we have lots of competition!” to saying “Look at Microsoft/Amazon/Apple, they have an amazing new video service, like us!” https://www.bloomberg.com/.…

• @marypcbuk Mary Branscombe on x

  Microsoft buying TikTok? well, that would it shut down in 18 months seriously Microsoft, stop trying to be one of the cool kids. if you can't even keep Cortana running on the Invoke, or keep Mixer going, what are you going to do with a video service?

• @hshaban Hamza Shaban on x

  Looking forward to Clippy teaching teens how to edit TikToks https://twitter.com/...

• @_danielsinclair Daniel Sinclair on x

  ByteDance was already vetting offers to sell a majority stake to investors. It's unclear if the Treasury changes that possibility, with ByteDance potentially forced to completely divest. https://twitter.com/...

• @sallyshin Sally Shin on x

  If rumors are true, nice timing for Microsoft who was not part of the antitrust hearing this week be able to make a multibillion dollar bid for Tiktok. But could a consortium of investors like Sequoia and General Atlantic be a better viable option?

• @repkenbuck Congressman Ken Buck on x

  As long as #TikTok is owned by China-based ByteDance, it's a national security threat. I'm thankful we have a President in the White House who is tough on Communist China. https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @tomwarren Tom Warren on x

  Microsoft buying TikTok's US operations wouldn't make much sense for the company. https://twitter.com/...

• @zck Zak Kukoff on x

  This is perfect because I always felt TikTok was missing a helpful paperclip assistant https://twitter.com/...

• @karissabe Karissa Bell on x

  Can't wait to join your professional network on TikTok https://twitter.com/...

• @ranjanxroy Ranjan on x

  The LinkedIn-ification of TikTok is nigh https://twitter.com/...

• @freialobo Freia Lobo on x

  the thought of Microsoft buying Tiktok is the funniest thing I've ever heard can you IMAGINE https://twitter.com/...

• @alexrkonrad Alex Konrad on x

  influencers now looking up how to TikTok from a Surface https://twitter.com/...

• @hipcityreg @hipcityreg on x

  I can't wait to link my GroupMe to my TikTok 🥵🥵🥵 https://twitter.com/...

• @samsheffer Sam Sheffer on x

  am I reading this correctly- MSFT in talks to buy TikTok from bytedance?? https://twitter.com/...

• @pitdesi Sheel Mohnot on x

  This makes a lot of sense to me. If $MSFT scoops TikTok, Nadella will add to his already great legacy pretty substantially imo https://twitter.com/...

• @olifranklin Oli Franklin-Wallis on x

  If you want to understand why Zuckerberg cosies up to Trump.... (Facebook is currently preparing to roll out Reels, its own TikTok competitor.) https://twitter.com/...

• @axios @axios on x

  NEW: The Trump administration plans to sign an order mandating that China-based ByteDance divest its ownership of U.S.-based video sharing app TikTok, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. https://www.axios.com/...

• @calicali2000 @calicali2000 on x

  How “free market” works in USA. 🙄 Killing the competition in order to maintain monopoly. #Bytedance #TikTok https://twitter.com/...

• @rmac18 @rmac18 on x

  If you want to see how the US gov can do this and force a Chinese company to sell off an American asset, look no further than what happened to Grindr. Still, TikTok is much larger than Grindr. This is bonkers. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...

• @kevinroose Kevin Roose on x

  One downside of TikTok's “look how American we are!” campaign is that it makes it seem like separating TikTok from ByteDance operationally would be a clean, easy process. (It would not!)

• @nxthompson @nxthompson on x

  America on Wednesday: the tech companies are giant monopolies that distort markets! America on Friday: let's break up the one new competitor, which one of those giants will now likely buy. https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @jendeben Jenny Leonard on x

  NEWS: President Trump will direct China's ByteDance to divest its ownership of the popular U.S.-based music-video app TikTok, per sources. Announcement could come as soon as this afternoon. w/ @JenniferJJacobs @SalehaMohsin https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @mims Christopher Mims on x

  Very excited for tighter integration between TikTok and LinkedIn https://twitter.com/...

• @gordonhoulden @gordonhoulden on x

  If Chinese ownership is sufficient to establish a security risk (Tik Tok) we can expect that Beijing will selectively apply similar criteria to US firms operating in China. Of course social media operations in PRC are already an exclusively Chinese affair https://www.nytimes.com/…

• @wsjbusiness @wsjbusiness on x

  For Microsoft, buying TikTok would mark the boldest in a string of big deals and could reshape a tech giant that has lately thrived by focusing on corporate customers https://www.wsj.com/...

• @johnbiggs John Biggs on x

  Can I add you to my professional Renegade Dance Network? https://twitter.com/...

• @isadwatson Isa Watson on x

  Can't wait for the ability to do vlookups on TikTok. This deal is like Larry Ellison and Yo Gotti doing a mixtape. https://twitter.com/...

• @prosaicview Prosenjit Datta on x

  Though I have the greatest respect for Nadella's business vision, I wonder whether Microsoft will be able to handle TikTok after buying it. It still has too much of an institutional products mindset and not enough of a consumer focus https://twitter.com/...