TikTok has dismissed reports suggesting that the Chinese government is considering selling the platform to Elon Musk as “pure fiction.” Rumors, initially reported by Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal, claimed that Chinese officials were debating the sale to Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, as a contingency plan to prevent a ban on TikTok in the United States.
The speculation comes as the US Supreme Court reviews the legality of banning TikTok under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The ban, signed into law in April 2024, cites national security concerns, particularly over TikTok’s data practices and its potential influence on public discourse.
TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, has been under pressure to divest its US operations to avoid the app’s prohibition. The reports also suggested the possibility of integrating TikTok into Musk’s social media platform, X. However, details on how Musk, with a net worth exceeding $400 billion, would fund such a transaction remain unclear.
TikTok has filed a legal challenge against the bill, arguing that it infringes on First Amendment protections. A spokesperson for TikTok stated, “We cannot be expected to comment on pure fiction,” in response to the rumors.
As the January 20 ban deadline looms, the situation has drawn sharp criticism and debate from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office soon, has vowed to protect the platform, signaling a potential policy reversal.
This development underscores the growing tension between Beijing and Washington over technology, data privacy, and national security, with TikTok caught at the center of a geopolitical standoff.
