As rumors circulated Monday that China was looking to have the owner of X purchase TikTok, a representative for the latter said it was "pure fiction."
Bloomberg reported on Monday that Chinese officials were looking at an option involving Musk acquiring TikTok’s US operations ahead of a ban of the platform in the US, "according to people familiar with the matter."
The publication wrote that officials in Beijing prefer TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to continue ownership of TikTok as it contests an impending ban through an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
On Friday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over the future of TikTok.
Those familiar with the discussions claim the deliberations are preliminary, and no decision has been made on how to proceed.
When asked about the discussions, TikTok told Fox Business, "We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction."
TikTok is facing a potential ban due to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a law signed by President Biden that passed in Congress last April with bipartisan approval. By midnight on January 19, the app could be removed from U.S. based app stores unless it is divested from its parent company.
TikTok has faced controversy over it being a China-based company and for allegedly being used as spyware software for the Chinese Communist Party. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have warned about the potential national security threat TikTok allegedly poses via U.S. phones.
This week, "Mr. Wonderful" Kevin O’Leary announced he is partnering up with Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt to purchase the platform's U.S. assets from its parent company, ByteDance, and "rebuild the platform in a way that prioritizes the privacy of its 170 million American users."
