Microsoft confirmed on Sunday that negotiations were underway to buy the American branch of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, and that they would continue after a discussion with Donald Trump, who wanted to ban the social network from the United States. The American computer giant "appreciates the importance of responding to the president's concerns," he said in a statement, and hopes that the talks will be concluded by September 15 at the latest.
Political and trade tensions
Amid political and trade tensions with China, Washington has accused the popular platform for months of being used by Chinese intelligence for surveillance purposes. TikTok has always firmly denied any data sharing with Beijing. The acquisition will be subject to "a comprehensive security assessment and should bring economic benefits to the United States, including the US Treasury," the statement said.
Since Friday, the president and his close advisers have been making threats against TikTok. Donald Trump had declared Friday evening that he was banning the app and was even opposed to a takeover by an American group. "We're not going anywhere," Vanessa Pappas, head of the American branch of the network, responded on Saturday in a video to reassure users.
"Microsoft will make sure all data stays in the US"
If the transaction goes through, Microsoft will own and run the social network in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Minority shareholders may join the operation. "Microsoft will ensure that all data from US TikTok users is transferred and remains in the US," the Seattle-based company promised.
TikTok must be "sold or blocked" in the United States, warned US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday on ABC. The president "will take action in the coming days in response to the various national security risks posed by software related to the Communist Party of China," said for his part the chief of the American diplomacy Mike Pompeo on the channel. Fox News.