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TikTok and LinkedIn under one roof?
“Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions, as President Trump said on Friday that he was considering taking steps that would effectively ban the app from the United States,” The New York Times reported Friday.
The company is in talks with the White House and reportedly negotiating to take over TikTok’s operations in US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Why we care. Despite its best efforts (see below), TikTok’s attempts to convince U.S. legislators that it operates wholly independently from its Chinese parent company ByteDance haven’t stuck. It’s options increasingly look limited to spinning off to go public or spinning off for acquisition. It’s looking like TikTok may be headed down the latter route.
Microsoft, with it’s focus on the enterprise, might seem like an odd fit for TikTok. But remember it’s also the home of Xbox, The Verge points out in a look at why Microsoft is interested in TikTok. (Microsoft is also about the only would-be big tech buyer not facing antitrust scrutiny in the U.S.)
A U.S. roof would allow TikTok to stay focused on building its creator ranks and fast-growing ad business with one less giant distraction — and help reassure users and advertisers that their data isn’t being siphoned off to China. Like LInkedIn, Microsoft could allow TikTok to run independently while taking advantage of data insights and integrations where it makes sense.
TikTok pulls the
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