United States President Donald Trump stated this Tuesday that he would be willing for technology magnate Elon Musk to buy the social network TikTok if he wanted, although Musk has not publicly expressed interest in doing so.
At a press conference at the White House, a journalist asked Trump if he would agree with TikTok passing into the hands of Musk, the richest man in the world who is already the owner of the social network X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
“It would be, if he wanted to buy it,” the president responded.
According to a report published this month by Bloomberg, the Chinese Government would be considering a plan that would involve the acquisition of TikTok’s operations in the United States by Musk to prevent the application from being banned in that country.
Trump said he doesn’t have the app installed on his phone, but joked that “he might download it right now.” In addition, he assured that he has “a special affection” for TikTok, since, according to him, it helped him win the young vote in the elections.
Read: This is what billionaires like Musk could pay for TikTok in the United States
However, CNN exit polling data shows that while young voters, particularly men, leaned more toward Trump compared to 2020, Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris beat Trump in this segment. : obtained 54% in the 18 to 24 year old group; 53% in voters between 25 and 29 years old; and 51% in those between 30 and 39 years old.
TikTok stopped working for a few hours last weekend after the Court on Friday endorsed a law passed last year by Congress that forces the platform to separate itself from its parent company, the Chinese company ByteDance, or face closure.
Shortly after the application ceased its activity, Trump announced on Sunday a 90-day extension so that TikTok can continue operating in the country. Following this announcement, the platform resumed operation.
Trump has insisted that he would like US companies to acquire at least 50% of the platform, owned by ByteDance, to allay concerns about national security.
Read: Musk’s greeting sparks controversy after Trump’s inauguration
The US Congress approved, with bipartisan support, the law on TikTok, arguing that it is essential that it dissociate itself from ByteDance given the risk that the Chinese Government could access the data of American users or influence the public debate in the country.
TikTok, for its part, assures that it has implemented measures to protect the privacy of its users and denies that its platform can be used by Beijing as a propaganda tool.
With information from EFE
Do you like to get informed through Google News? Follow our Showcase to have the best stories
