Get ready with me to see who could buy TikTok.
Ahead of President Donald Trump’s April 5 deadline for ByteDance, the popular social media app’s Chinese owner, to sell their U.S. operations to an approved buyer, Jeff Bezos’ company Amazon has emerged as a potential customer, a person familiar with the ongoing discussions told NBC News.
The online retailer’s bid was sent in a letter addressed to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, but, given that it was submitted only days before the deadline, their offer is not being treated as serious, per the insider.
If a deal is not made with a non-Chinese buyer before the April 5 deadline, TikTok is likely to be banned in the U.S, though the president has hinted at a possible extension, according to the outlet.
The app briefly went dark in January after the company did not adhere to legislation passed under former president Joe Biden last year, though Trump extended ByteDance’s deadline on his first day in office, resuming the app’s operations hours after the ban went into effect.