Amazon Makes Final Push to Acquire TikTok Before Deadline, Report Reveals
Amazon.com has made an eleventh-hour proposal to acquire all of the short-form video application TikTok, according to a report from The New York Times on Wednesday, referencing three individuals acquainted with the bidding process.
U.S. President Donald Trump will review a concluding offer regarding TikTok on Wednesday before an April 5 deadline for the app to secure a non-Chinese purchaser or else be prohibited from operating within the nation, according to a White House source who spoke on Tuesday.
ByteDance and TikTok did not promptly reply to requests for comments, whereas Amazon chose not to respond.
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Several participants in the discussions seem to be treating Amazon's offer with little seriousness, according to The New York Times.
The proposal was communicated through an offer letter directed at U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to the report.
The fate of the application utilized by almost half of all Americans has been uncertain since a 2024 legislation, which garnered strong support from both parties, mandated ByteDance to sell off TikTok by January 19.
The U.S. claims that because TikTok is owned by ByteDance, it may be influenced by the Chinese government. They also suggest that China might utilize the platform for activities aimed at impacting American public opinion and gather personal information about citizens of the United States.
After being inaugurated for his second term on January 20, Trump issued an executive order aimed at postponing the implementation of the regulatory measures against TikTok by 75 days. This temporary reprieve allowed the app to keep operating within the United States during this extended period.
Following this, multiple entities have allegedly shown interest in acquiring TikTok, with Trump stating earlier that his administration had been communicating with four distinct factions regarding the potential sale of the app.
The agreement being contemplated by the administration on Wednesday might involve Oracle Corp., along with Blackstone Inc., and possibly additional investors as part of a collaborative effort, according to a distinct report from Bloomberg quoting sources close to the situation. CBS News was the initial source to break news about these plans.
The agreement spearheaded by Oracle would grant the firm a minor share in a newly formed U.S.-based organization. According to an earlier draft shared among government officials, Oracle might offer security guarantees for American data but could possibly leave the crucial algorithms of the application under Chinese control.
It’s uncertain whether ByteDance and Chinese officials have participated in these discussions. Nonetheless, Beijing’s authorities might approve an agreement that includes Oracle, provided that TikTok's algorithm stays entirely under Chinese control.
Oracle had previously established a substantial cloud infrastructure business to collaborate with TikTok through an initiative known as Project Texas. The company was also chosen to assist the application in isolating sensitive U.S. user data from ByteDance; however, this strategy did not gain approval from regulators in Washington.
Opponents of the proposal, such as certain Republican legislators, argue that it may not meet legal requirements due to lingering worries about China potentially gaining access to confidential information or using the platform to disseminate propaganda. Both ByteDance and authorities in Beijing have dismissed these allegations before.
Trump has appeared unconcerned about the looming deadline, telling reporters this week that there were many interested parties interested in the app. He has also said he would consider lowering tariff rates he has imposed on China to secure Beijing's support of a sale.
Reuters and Bloomberg
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