In a surprise move, Amazon has submitted a bid to buy TikTok's US division
Among the potential buyers of TikTok appeared another figure: Amazon Corporation expressed its desire to purchase the American assets of this platform.
Here's What We Know
Amazon applied for the purchase of the American division of TikTok. This happened on the eve of the deadline set by the US authorities: by 5 April, the Chinese company ByteDance must either sell TikTok or face its ban in the country.
According to The New York Times, Amazon's written proposal was sent to US Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. But the publication's sources say the negotiators are not taking the bid seriously yet - it came too late.
If Amazon manages to acquire TikTok, it will seriously strengthen its position in the field of social networks and e-commerce. As a reminder, TikTok already has its own shopping platform, TikTok Shop, which competes with Amazon in online sales.
Flashback
In April 2024, US President Joe Biden signed legislation that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok due to national security concerns. After Donald Trump won the election, the deadline to comply with this law was extended to 5 April 2025. If no deal is struck by then, TikTok could be removed from app shops in the US, effectively banning it.
In addition to Amazon, potential buyers of TikTok have included Microsoft, Walmart, and prominent businessmen including Elon Musk, Activision Blizzard founder Bobby Kotick, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and OnlyFans creator Tim Stokely.
Source: The New York Times
