What year is it? Seems like it’s 2025. Yet, here we are again with Microsoft making headlines about an attempt to buy TikTok.
If you missed it, the U.S. Congress passed a bill last year mandating TikTok, a China-based company, to either sell its U.S. operations or cease them entirely. Former President Joe Biden let the bill become law without a veto. TikTok defied the divestment requirement, leading to the app going offline just last Sunday. However, the app wasn’t down for long; it quickly reappeared, with a message that thanked the newly inaugurated President Trump for giving the company a lifeline.
Under this new administration, TikTok received a 90-day reprieve. Still, neither Google Play nor Apple’s app store has restored it due to the law. This doesn’t change the fact that TikTok has some tough decisions ahead—either pack up in America or find a new owner soon.
According to reports from NPR (as relayed by The Verge), Microsoft seems to be back in talks to purchase TikTok.
The globally popular app has faced backlash for its gripping algorithm that’s skilled at building echo chambers and fostering fanatical beliefs of all sorts. U.S. security officials have flagged TikTok as a national security risk due to its parent company, ByteDance, and its ties to the Chinese Communist Party. There are concerns it could be used for that very propaganda or even to monitor American citizens. Meanwhile, the European Union is also probing into TikTok’s alleged role in energizing extremist groups across Europe and the spread of Russian propaganda supporting Putin.
The buzz indicates that the White House might be considering letting Oracle take over TikTok’s operations globally, possibly allowing ByteDance to keep a minor stake. Microsoft, it seems, might be part of these discussions too, though the depth of their involvement isn’t clear. So far, all involved parties have sidestepped commenting on the situation.
TikTok stands out as a major social network, especially resonating with Gen Alpha and Gen Z. In the social media realm, Meta has Facebook and Instagram, Google owns YouTube, Amazon controls Twitch, and Microsoft is holding LinkedIn.
LinkedIn may be a big and lucrative platform, but its main focus is quite straightforward and doesn’t really capture cultural movements like some other networks do. Imagine if Microsoft had a hand in a platform like TikTok—they could integrate it with their consumer products like Windows, Surface, and Xbox for a massive advantage. Picture Xbox directly tied with TikTok, or Windows featuring a native editing tool inspired by TikTok’s style. Then again, we heard similar expectations when they acquired Skype, and we all know that story.
It’s doubtful Microsoft will actually end up owning TikTok. However, TikTok is among the largest users of Microsoft’s Azure AI services. While a great deal of TikTok’s machine learning relies on Azure, most of the app is hosted on Oracle’s cloud. If I had to speculate, Microsoft’s involvement is likely linked to its Azure AI partnership with TikTok.
But imagine if they did?
