With the US government cracking down hard on TikTok, the rapidly rising social media app seems to have no option but to sell its US operation to the highest bidder. Microsoft has emerged as the frontrunner for acquiring the app, but it seems like the tech giant isn’t planning stopping there. It has expressed serious interest in buying TikTok’s holdings in Australia, New Zealand and Canada as well. It appears that Microsoft wishes to acquire TikTok’s entire Anglophone operation according to a recent report by Bloomberg.
There is a difference between Microsoft acquiring TikTok in the US and TikTok’s UK operation. This difference is that the UK government has not expressed any intention in following the US in attempting to ban the app in any way, shape or form. As a result of the fact that this is the case, TikTok has no reason to sell off its UK branch. In fact, TikTok has reportedly considered shifting its headquarters that were previously in the US to London, and a big part of the reason why that is the case has to do with the fact that the UK government is a lot less harsh on the app than the US.
All of this is speculation based on rumors, of course, but these rumors are provided on good authority. The fact of the matter is that TikTok only has four more weeks left before the deadline is reached and it has to shut down its operations in the US or let itself be acquired. The pressure is on and the social media app is in many ways fighting for survival. Microsoft would benefit greatly from acquiring the app of course since it has vast resources which it can use to take TikTok to a whole new level. It remains to be seen what the actual outcome would end up being.
Photo: CHRIS DELMAS via Getty Images
Read next: TikTok Sheds Much Needed Light on Its Analytics Tools
There is a difference between Microsoft acquiring TikTok in the US and TikTok’s UK operation. This difference is that the UK government has not expressed any intention in following the US in attempting to ban the app in any way, shape or form. As a result of the fact that this is the case, TikTok has no reason to sell off its UK branch. In fact, TikTok has reportedly considered shifting its headquarters that were previously in the US to London, and a big part of the reason why that is the case has to do with the fact that the UK government is a lot less harsh on the app than the US.
All of this is speculation based on rumors, of course, but these rumors are provided on good authority. The fact of the matter is that TikTok only has four more weeks left before the deadline is reached and it has to shut down its operations in the US or let itself be acquired. The pressure is on and the social media app is in many ways fighting for survival. Microsoft would benefit greatly from acquiring the app of course since it has vast resources which it can use to take TikTok to a whole new level. It remains to be seen what the actual outcome would end up being.
Photo: CHRIS DELMAS via Getty Images
Read next: TikTok Sheds Much Needed Light on Its Analytics Tools
