As TikTok works to shore up support to keep its ownership structure the same, the Trump administration is eyeing a deal with a non-Chinese company to keep the app running in the United States.
President Donald Trump said four different groups are bidding on TikTok, which has 170 million American users. The app is facing another shutdown next month in the U.S. if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not find an American buyer.
Software giant Oracle is reportedly in talks with the White House on a deal to run TikTok. However, concerns remain about the role the app’s Chinese founders would play in its operation in the U.S., according to Politico.
Those familiar with the Oracle discussions told the outlet that a deal would involve U.S. government tasking Oracle with overseeing American users’ data and ensuring the Chinese government doesn’t also have access. If the algorithm, in which much of TikTok’s value lies, is not entirely rebuilt by a U.S. owner or if ByteDance retains its role on the operations side, it could still be vulnerable to influence by the Chinese Communist Party, according to the outlet.
Trump said he is open to Larry Ellison, Oracle founder and executive chairman, buying the short-video app. Ellison, a longtime Trump supporter, is part of the Trump administration’s Stargate Project, a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative.
Vice President JD Vance said he was confident the app would be sold before an early April deadline. He and national security adviser Mike Waltz are the two officials Trump tasked with leading negotiations with TikTok and a potential American buyer.
TikTok has repeatedly said it is not for sale, with ByteDance maintaining that dropping its ownership stake is not feasible if the U.S. law requires the app to end any ties to China.
TikTok recently launched an ad campaign in Washington, D.C., to retain its ownership and presence in the U.S. without being sold. The app posted ads across various spots frequented by Washington lawmakers and lobbyists, including Union Station and Capitol South Metro station.
VANCE CONFIDENT TIKTOK WILL BE SOLD TO US COMPANY BEFORE DEADLINE
“80% of my business is from TikTok,” one ad says, featuring a Georgia-based auto repair shop owner.
Trump proposed banning TikTok during his first administration. However, in recent months, he said he has “a warm spot in my heart for TikTok” due to the app’s hold on young people.