Is This Really the Death Knell for TikTok?
The hearings at the Supreme Court are “setting the stage for a ban”, says CNBC, and have been followed by additional reports suggesting that the platform is a vehicle for Chinese propaganda.
Despite this, ByteDance continues to fight – and even sent the company’s CEO on a personal visit to Florida’s Mar-a-Lago resort to see Donald Trump. There is also a team of entrepreneurs, including Shark Tank host, Kevin O’Leary, gearing up for a possible takeover bid.
Murmurings about a possible bid from Elon Musk, on the other hand, have also started to make their way into the headlines over the past few days, although there are no confirmed reports of formal conversations between the billionaire and Bytedance regarding a takeover.
The biggest wild card, though, is the incoming president who has flip-flopped in his attitude toward TikTok. While the deadline is approaching at speed, so is his inauguration. TikTok users are wise to look for alternatives in the meantime, but Trump’s serial unpredictability may see the platform secure a last-minute reprieve.
