The United States Supreme Court recently conducted oral arguments concerning a law that could lead to the banning of TikTok in the country. President Joe Biden signed this legislation in April. As the legal battle unfolds, the Chinese government is reportedly contemplating a plan to sell TikTok's U.S. operations to Elon Musk. This proposed sale aims to prevent an effective ban of the popular social media platform in the United States.
TikTok's legal team contends that the law infringes upon the free-speech rights of American users. They argue that forcing China-based ByteDance to divest its U.S. business by January 19 is unconstitutional. However, the U.S. government maintains that ByteDance's ownership poses a significant national security threat. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court appears inclined to support the government's position, potentially leading to TikTok's prohibition in the U.S.
Under the plan being considered by the Chinese government, Musk would manage TikTok's U.S. operations alongside his current company, X. Despite these developments, a TikTok spokesperson dismissed the plan as "pure fiction" and declined to comment further. The plan remains preliminary and one of several options under exploration, with no final decision made by the Chinese authorities.
Elon Musk has not participated in any discussions regarding this potential acquisition, as reported. The law also stipulates penalties for third-party Internet service providers that continue to support TikTok's U.S. operations past the specified deadline.