China’s TikTok says that a recent report of ByteDance considering a sale to Elon Musk is “pure fiction.” TikTok is scheduled to be banned from then United States on Sunday.
“We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction,” a TikTok spokesperson told Variety after being asked to comment on a report that the Chinese Communist Party is open to facilitating a sale of the app to Musk in order to keep TikTok operational in the United States amid a potential ban by the U.S. government.
On Monday, Bloomberg reported that “Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok” if the U.S. sell-or-ban legislation goes into effect.
As Breitbart News reported, the sell-or-ban law requires TikTok’s parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, to divest its stake in the app or else be banned in the United States on January 19.
Bloomberg’s report noted of “one scenario” allegedly discussed by the Chinese government in which Musk — who famously bought Twitter in 2022 and later renamed it X — “would take control of TikTok US and run the businesses together” with the SpaceX CEO’s social media platform.
The outlet added that it is “unclear whether Musk, TikTok, and ByteDance have held any talks about the terms of any possible deal.”
TikTok, meanwhile, has sought an emergency appeal to block the sell-or-ban legislation, for which the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Friday. Ironically, the Chinese company argued the law violates Americans’ First Amendment rights.
Supreme Court justices, however, were seemingly more receptive to the U.S. government’s argument that TikTok is a national security threat, given that its parent company is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party.
The sell-or-ban law has been supported by U.S. lawmakers on both sides of aisle, who say TikTok being under control by the Chinese government gives the Chinese Communist Party the ability to spy on Americans and spread propaganda.
Chinese officials, meanwhile, have argued that ByteDance selling its stake in TikTok means its technology would be exported to the United States.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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