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Amazon joins bidding war for TikTok as U.S. ban deadline looms

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 13: In this photo illustration, the TikTok app is seen on a phone on March 13, 2024 in New York City. Congress is set to vote and pass a bill that could ban the popular app TikTok nationwide and be sent to the Senate for a vote. The bill would force the Chinese firm ByteDance to divest from TikTok and other applications that it owns within six months after passage of the bill or face a ban. Lawmakers argue that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government making the app a national security threat. (Photo Illustration by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
TikTok (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

With just two days remaining before a potential U.S. ban on TikTok, Amazon has reportedly entered the race to acquire the social media giant’s U.S. operations. The e-commerce powerhouse joins a growing list of interested buyers, including tech company Oracle and the founder of adult content platform OnlyFans.

The move marks Amazon’s most serious push yet into the social media space, an area the company has long sought to enter in order to expand product visibility and boost online sales.

TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has until Saturday to sell its U.S. division or risk being banned nationwide over national security and data privacy concerns.

“ByteDance does not share user information with the Chinese government,” the company said in a statement, repeating prior assertions of data independence.

President Trump, who initiated earlier efforts to limit TikTok’s operations in the U.S., has hinted that he may be open to extending the deadline if a sale appears close but incomplete.

As the deadline approaches, the future of one of the world’s most popular social media platforms remains uncertain. Industry analysts say any buyer will need to navigate not just financial and technical hurdles, but also the political pressures that have made TikTok’s U.S. presence a point of contention in U.S.-China relations.

More updates are expected as Saturday’s deadline nears.





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