Battle For TikTok: Amazon, AppLovin Join Oracle And These Others Vying To Buy It

Topline

Amazon and mobile technology firm AppLovin are the latest to make acquisition offers for TikTok, according to multiple reports, joining Oracle, Microsoft and other potential buyers on the day when the White House is reportedly reviewing an offer—just days before the popular app is required to sell to an American company or face a ban in the U.S.

Key Facts

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Can The Trump Administration Delay The Tiktok Ban Again?

Yes, though Vance has said the Trump administration is aiming to get a deal done before the April 5 deadline. If no deal is reached by then, President Donald Trump could issue another order pushing the ban back by “30 days or longer” to “fully iron out the complex deal structure,” Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives told Variety.

Who Could Buy Tiktok?

In addition to Amazon and AppLovin, Oracle has emerged as a leading suitor for TikTok, according to Politico and The Information. The White House has spoken with Oracle about a deal that would give the computer technology company oversight of TikTok’s U.S. data and make it responsible for keeping that information away from China, Politico reported. Trump told reporters in March his administration was speaking with four potential TikTok buyers. Though he did not provide any company names, he has mentioned Microsoft as a potential buyer in the past and hoped there would be a “bidding war” for TikTok. Microsoft made an offer for TikTok as far back as 2020, but it collapsed not long after discussions began. Other companies and people that have shown interest in purchasing TikTok include Walmart, video-sharing platform Rumble, Perplexity AI, YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, and billionaire Frank McCourt’s internet advocacy group Project Liberty.

Key Background

The law forcing TikTok to sell itself to an American company or be banned in the U.S. was signed by former President Joe Biden last year following bipartisan national security concerns, with lawmakers concerned that China uses the data collected by the app to spy on Americans. Trump extended the deadline on TikTok’s potential ban or sale by 75 days after he took office. National security concerns over TikTok have persisted into the dealmaking process and are a key part of acquisition talks, according to Vance, who said last month he believed the app will stay operational in the U.S. “in a way that’s protective of Americans’ data privacy and America’s national security.” TikTok and its China-based parent company ByteDance have denied allegations they have compromised American data privacy, though Forbes has found the app spied on journalists, mishandled advertiser data and stored some creators’ financial data in China.

Further Reading

What We Know About Trump’s TikTok Deal—As Reports Suggest Oracle Could Take Lead Role (Forbes)

Vance Says TikTok Will ‘Almost Certainly’ Reach Deal To Avoid U.S. Ban Next Month (Forbes)