In brief
Trump hints at a TikTok sale, reflecting ongoing tensions between U.S. and China over data privacy.
In a recent Fox News interview, Donald Trump revealed he has a "group of very wealthy people" lined up to buy TikTok, the popular video-sharing app that has faced bans in the U.S. due to national security concerns. Trump playfully suggested that more details will be unveiled in about two weeks. Despite the potential sale, any deal would require greenlighting from the Chinese government, which Trump believes President Xi Jinping will approve. The enforcement of a U.S. law mandating TikTok's sale has been delayed multiple times, with the deadline now set for September 17. This law was enacted due to fears that TikTok could share American user data with Beijing, a claim the app has consistently denied. It's noteworthy that a prior deal to sell TikTok to an American firm collapsed earlier this year amidst rising tensions over tariffs between the U.S. and China. While Congress has pushed for the sale due to ongoing concerns over data privacy, Trump seemed to shift his stance, previously criticizing TikTok but now viewing it as a potential asset for his 2024 campaign. TikTok also recently challenged the law’s constitutionality in the Supreme Court but did not succeed.
