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TikTok denies rumoured sale to Elon Musk to avoid US ban

TikTok has called rumours of a possible sale of its US operations to Elon Musk in response to the US ban ‘pure fiction’

TikTok has firmly denied rumours that China is considering selling its US operations to Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly Twitter), as a measure to avoid the US ban. The news, reported by the Wall Street Journal, indicated that Chinese officials had discussed several options internally, including selling the social platform to a non-Chinese investor such as Musk. However, TikTok called these rumours ‘pure fiction’ and reiterated that it would not comment on unfounded speculation.

The TikTok issue is particularly sensitive in US-Chinese relations. The US Supreme Court is expected to rule on a law requiring ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to divest its US operations by 19 January. The US government has repeatedly argued that ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok poses a threat to national security, while the platform’s legal team has challenged the law, saying it violates the free speech rights of American users.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese officials believe that an opening on TikTok could be a strategic card in negotiations with the US, especially in light of Donald Trump’s expected return to the presidency. Beijing, for now, has not ordered ByteDance to sell the platform, but it remains a key player in controlling China’s technology exports, which include domestically developed algorithms, for which government approval would be required for a possible sale.

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