Trump, "Chinese App 'TikTok' Banned in the US Starting from the 1st"... Will Microsoft Acquire It?

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Amid ongoing US-China tensions, on the 31st (local time), US President Donald Trump announced that the use of the Chinese social media application 'TikTok' will be banned starting August 1, according to the AP News Agency. There are also talks that Microsoft (MS) may acquire TikTok's business in the United States.

According to reports, President Trump, while returning from a visit to Florida on Air Force One, said, "As far as TikTok is concerned, we will block its use in the United States," and mentioned that he would invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act or issue an executive order.

TikTok, which is popular domestically with about 1.4 million daily users, is an app that facilitates communication through short 15-second videos. Its parent company is the Chinese firm ByteDance, which has faced continuous allegations of leaking user personal information.

The US Congress has also suspected that TikTok is linked to the Chinese Communist Party and raised concerns that personal information or confidential data could be leaked when using the app.

There are also talks that Microsoft may acquire TikTok's business in the United States. It is expected that President Trump will sign an executive order requiring ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to sell its US TikTok operations, with Microsoft being the acquiring party.

Earlier, the daily New York Times (NYT) reported that Microsoft is in negotiations to acquire TikTok.