UPDATE 1/20: TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER: SELL TIKTOK TO US OR WE'RE TARIFFING CHINA. You have 75 days!!!!
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Armchair Militant
Stay woke
Wrong thread
Perplexity wants to buy TikTok and open-source its algorithm
The AI search startup laid out its bid for buying, and rebuilding, TikTok.
www.theverge.com
Perplexity wants to buy TikTok and open-source its algorithm
Skip to main content
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The AI search startup laid out its bid for buying, and rebuilding, TikTok.
The AI search startup laid out its bid for buying, and rebuilding, TikTok.
Mar 21, 2025, 2:16 PM EDT
Cath Virginia / The Verge
Kylie Robisonis a senior AI reporter working with The Verge’s policy and tech teams. She previously worked at Fortune Magazine and Business Insider.
The AI search startup Perplexity just proposed a bid for acquiring (and transforming) TikTok, per a company blog post published Friday .
“Perplexity is singularly positioned to rebuild the TikTok algorithm without creating a monopoly, combining world-class technical capabilities with Little Tech independence,” the company wrote.
They claim they’re uniquely positioned to do this “without creating a monopoly,” unlike potential acquisitions by competitors or investor consortiums that might maintain ByteDance’s influence. The plan includes:
- Rebuilding TikTok’s algorithm from scratch “in American data centers with American oversight”
- Making the recommendation system “transparent” and open source
- Upgrading the AI infrastructure using Nvidia Dynamo technology
- Adding citation capabilities to videos similar to Perplexity’s existing features
- Integrating Perplexity’s search capabilities with TikTok’s video library
- Enhancing personalization for users who connect Perplexity and TikTok accounts (which, the startup claims, “could help surface more relevant content on TikTok”)
- Adding multilingual capabilities through automatic translation
ByteDance, the China-based owner of TikTok, has been reluctant to sell the company’s U.S operations — which has led to a lot of whiplash for users. After the Supreme Court ruled that the U.S could actually ban the social media app in January, the app went dark for approximately 14 hours . President Trump then signed an executive order that provided a 75 day delay of the TikTok ban (which is slated to expire soon, on April 5).
Perplexity first made its bid to buy TikTok back in January, but the startup is shadowed by bigger competition: Oracle, Microsoft , and a consortium of investors led by Frank McCourt are some of the contenders looking to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations. It isn’t clear whether TikTok is taking Perplexity’s bid seriously — some analysts value TikTok’s operations between $30 billion to $50 billion . Bloombergrecently reported that Perplexity is in “early talks” for a new round of funding that would value it at $18 billion.
The startup, which was founded in 2022, is known for its stunts. Perplexity recently aired a commercial featuring Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae that mocked Google’s AI Overviews blunder. (Perplexity CBO Dmitry Shevelenko told me at the time the startup was spending “$2.5M+ on media buy” in the US for the ad.) The company also attempted to sponsor an F1 team for $5 million a year and claimed to hire actor Jimmy O. Yang (who starred in the TV show Silicon Valley ) as its Chief Security Officer. Given this track record, it’s unclear whether the TikTok bid is real or just another publicity stunt.
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I like perplexityPerplexity wants to buy TikTok and open-source its algorithm
The AI search startup laid out its bid for buying, and rebuilding, TikTok.
Perplexity wants to buy TikTok and open-source its algorithm
Skip to main content
- Tech /
- AI
The AI search startup laid out its bid for buying, and rebuilding, TikTok.
The AI search startup laid out its bid for buying, and rebuilding, TikTok.
Mar 21, 2025, 2:16 PM EDT
Cath Virginia / The Verge
Kylie Robisonis a senior AI reporter working with The Verge’s policy and tech teams. She previously worked at Fortune Magazine and Business Insider.
The AI search startup Perplexity just proposed a bid for acquiring (and transforming) TikTok, per a company blog post published Friday .
“Perplexity is singularly positioned to rebuild the TikTok algorithm without creating a monopoly, combining world-class technical capabilities with Little Tech independence,” the company wrote.
They claim they’re uniquely positioned to do this “without creating a monopoly,” unlike potential acquisitions by competitors or investor consortiums that might maintain ByteDance’s influence. The plan includes:
- Rebuilding TikTok’s algorithm from scratch “in American data centers with American oversight”
- Making the recommendation system “transparent” and open source
- Upgrading the AI infrastructure using Nvidia Dynamo technology
- Adding citation capabilities to videos similar to Perplexity’s existing features
- Integrating Perplexity’s search capabilities with TikTok’s video library
- Enhancing personalization for users who connect Perplexity and TikTok accounts (which, the startup claims, “could help surface more relevant content on TikTok”)
- Adding multilingual capabilities through automatic translation
ByteDance, the China-based owner of TikTok, has been reluctant to sell the company’s U.S operations — which has led to a lot of whiplash for users. After the Supreme Court ruled that the U.S could actually ban the social media app in January, the app went dark for approximately 14 hours . President Trump then signed an executive order that provided a 75 day delay of the TikTok ban (which is slated to expire soon, on April 5).
Perplexity first made its bid to buy TikTok back in January, but the startup is shadowed by bigger competition: Oracle, Microsoft , and a consortium of investors led by Frank McCourt are some of the contenders looking to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations. It isn’t clear whether TikTok is taking Perplexity’s bid seriously — some analysts value TikTok’s operations between $30 billion to $50 billion . Bloombergrecently reported that Perplexity is in “early talks” for a new round of funding that would value it at $18 billion.
The startup, which was founded in 2022, is known for its stunts. Perplexity recently aired a commercial featuring Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae that mocked Google’s AI Overviews blunder. (Perplexity CBO Dmitry Shevelenko told me at the time the startup was spending “$2.5M+ on media buy” in the US for the ad.) The company also attempted to sponsor an F1 team for $5 million a year and claimed to hire actor Jimmy O. Yang (who starred in the TV show Silicon Valley ) as its Chief Security Officer. Given this track record, it’s unclear whether the TikTok bid is real or just another publicity stunt.
10 Comments / 10 New
Installer
A weekly newsletter by David Pierce designed to tell you everything you need to download, watch, read, listen to, and explore that fits in The Verge’s universe.
Dorian Breh
Veteran
How will the Colis CCP stans spin this?
Richard Glidewell
Yall done tore all the bottom of ya shoes w/me!!!
They always have they warm inviting mission statement.......whole time it's some psychopaths behind the masks waiting to do what they soI like perplexity
King Harlem
Superstar
Lol. I forgot all about that Tiktok ban.
ExodusNirvana
Change is inevitable...
Depends on what THE PARTY says, comrade
JA Westenberg (@Daojoan@mastodon.social)
Banning TikTok to fight Chinese influence while letting Facebook radicalize 3 million boomers into voting for a convicted felon is like removing one battery from a smoke alarm while your house is on fire.
mastodon.social
1/29
@Daojoan@mastodon.social
Banning TikTok to fight Chinese influence while letting Facebook radicalize 3 million boomers into voting for a convicted felon is like removing one battery from a smoke alarm while your house is on fire.
2/29
@Chiquidrakula@infosec.exchange
@Daojoan is it counting Spanish speaking boomers because I feel that the disinformation in languages other than English is ignored. My friend just told me about her mother wanting donald to win because Kalama was going to pay for male to female transitions. These are Spanish speaking households.
3/29
@PatrickoftheG
@Daojoan Cable news rotted out the minds of Baby Boomers and Gen X long before Facebook could do its thing.
4/29
@Minnesota411988
@PatrickoftheG @Daojoan Never liked TV. Mastodon is the first social media I’ve joined. This has helped me avoid the fascist mind virus that led to Trump.
5/29
@Minnesota411988
@PatrickoftheG @Daojoan But still I struggle with placing all the blame on Fox “News” or Facebook. Much as I avoid them I can’t entirely. Fox “News” will be on in a public space, for example. It takes only minutes to see that it is crazy and full of misinformation. So those we think might have been corrupted by it must have started with that. The most that Fox News could do is amplify the craziness.
6/29
@PatrickoftheG
@Minnesota411988 @Daojoan I'm not even talking about Fox News; CNN and MSNBC and co did terrible things to people's minds.
7/29
@Minnesota411988
@PatrickoftheG @Daojoan Yes, agree. Did not intend to defend MSNBC or CNN.
8/29
@Piousunyn@universeodon.com
@Minnesota411988 @PatrickoftheG @Daojoan No TV for me, always like the Forgery song: "I saw it on TV"
9/29
@expertenkommision_cyberunfall
@Daojoan Banning tik-tok and letting a bro take control of it, is more or less a way to set the house more on ones personal flavour of fire.
10/29
@Jonzie_74
@Daojoan the essence of tragicomedy
11/29
@Rhona_Redtail
@Daojoan they where manipulated by a new form of AI, masquerading as human users, which could reinforce opinions favorable to Trump.
12/29
@Salty@mastodon.nz
@Daojoan because you think banana muffins are made of fish
13/29
@thierry_van_kerm
@Daojoan Indeed. That's why EU should ban Meta products too. US propaganda tools, including music, cinema, culture, social media, etc have acted as a 'powerful opioid fentanyl' on Europe and on many countries. It's time to get rid of it.
14/29
@rustbuckett
@Daojoan It's just a flimsy front like the whole fentanyl thing. He just wants to buy it because it's a wildly successful social media platform and he thinks he can make a lot of money from it. Maybe he can get some sweet tips from his buddy Elon on how to make money from the hostile buyout of a business that he doesn't understand.
15/29
@dnnsconroy@mastodon.world
@rustbuckett @Daojoan I agree, I think it's all about money and ownership, nothing to do with Chinese influence or national security. American billionaires are pissed that they missed out on TikTok. When the idea of a forced sale first hit the news months ago, the lead American investor was Trump's former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin. This idea was probably hatched during Trump 1.0 but they couldn't make it happen before his term ended.
16/29
@jmcrookston
@Daojoan yeah but Facebook is OUR face-eating leopard
17/29
@punissuer@universeodon.com
@Daojoan which is the logical thing to do for team fire...
18/29
@MamaLake
@Daojoan banning tiktok goes even deeper I think, just like the "save act" cuts women's votes off, tiktok is the lifeblood of many younger peoples connection to learning and communication and business. People have their own stores, rallies and information are passed, #cutewinterboots are called out, etc. tiktok being fukked with IMO was a display of dominance over free speech.
19/29
@PeachMcD@union.place
@MamaLake @Daojoan Twitter was where I learned global actions, political movements, & breaking news long before it showed up on #CorporateMedia... w very few adsPeople organized flash mobs & stayed safe at rallies. They reported & documented #PoliceBrutality Then #ElonMusk bought it & broke it I never got into #TikTok but this has the same smell to me
20/29
@MamaLake
@PeachMcD @Daojoan exactly! But Elon didnt break it, he controlled it, everyone that has stayed on eX LOVES to abuse and be abused. For every other free thinker it is effectively broken, proving that your data was never actually your data, we were just loaning it to eX and letting him manipulate clout with our data. Same as metai-testi. People stay because of their connections, which are manipulated for money.
21/29
@PeachMcD@union.place
@MamaLake @Daojoan He broke the parts that were useful to the 99% & created a new form of control by the 1%
22/29
@johnoestmannmusic
@Daojoan literally listening to the Careless People audiobook while reading this, and yes - couldn't agree more
23/29
@gpowerf
@Daojoan It's all rather absurd—not only because you're absolutely right that Facebook is far more toxic and harmful, but also because the TikTok ban has inadvertently driven Americans to Xiaohongshu. Now, they're not just socialising directly with Chinese netizens, but also learning Mandarin and even visiting their new friends in China.
24/29
@Ladylullabunk@vivaldi.net
@Daojoan Correct me if I'm wrong but more Gen x voted for Trump than Boomers.https://apnews.com/article/election...lack-voters0f3fbda3362f3dcfe41aa6b858f22d12It wasn't just Boomers who were 'radicalised' by facebook. It's not helpful to demonize a whole demographic.
25/29
@yuhasz01
@Daojoan American public view of Trumpy policies: don't just do something, stand there....
26/29
@Bredroll@mas.to
@Daojoan TT is even more unregulated than Meta. Neither are forces for good. TT is simply more addictive.
27/29
@bruvduroiu
@Daojoan Spending enough time on Chinese social media for years now, the general consensus is that western apps are banned to protect the Chinese population from foreign interference. Given the US is known to have done that in the past via Radio Free <insert here>, I think it’s reasonable.US should be humble take a page out of China’s book, for their own sake.
28/29
@DarthAstrius
@Daojoan Chinese influence is based anyways, I’m on Rednote, and they also hate both political parties.
29/29
@mcSlibinas
@Daojoan it's just good first step. Shame it will be last.
To post posts in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196
@Daojoan@mastodon.social
Banning TikTok to fight Chinese influence while letting Facebook radicalize 3 million boomers into voting for a convicted felon is like removing one battery from a smoke alarm while your house is on fire.
2/29
@Chiquidrakula@infosec.exchange
@Daojoan is it counting Spanish speaking boomers because I feel that the disinformation in languages other than English is ignored. My friend just told me about her mother wanting donald to win because Kalama was going to pay for male to female transitions. These are Spanish speaking households.
3/29
@PatrickoftheG
@Daojoan Cable news rotted out the minds of Baby Boomers and Gen X long before Facebook could do its thing.
4/29
@Minnesota411988
@PatrickoftheG @Daojoan Never liked TV. Mastodon is the first social media I’ve joined. This has helped me avoid the fascist mind virus that led to Trump.
5/29
@Minnesota411988
@PatrickoftheG @Daojoan But still I struggle with placing all the blame on Fox “News” or Facebook. Much as I avoid them I can’t entirely. Fox “News” will be on in a public space, for example. It takes only minutes to see that it is crazy and full of misinformation. So those we think might have been corrupted by it must have started with that. The most that Fox News could do is amplify the craziness.
6/29
@PatrickoftheG
@Minnesota411988 @Daojoan I'm not even talking about Fox News; CNN and MSNBC and co did terrible things to people's minds.
7/29
@Minnesota411988
@PatrickoftheG @Daojoan Yes, agree. Did not intend to defend MSNBC or CNN.
8/29
@Piousunyn@universeodon.com
@Minnesota411988 @PatrickoftheG @Daojoan No TV for me, always like the Forgery song: "I saw it on TV"
9/29
@expertenkommision_cyberunfall
@Daojoan Banning tik-tok and letting a bro take control of it, is more or less a way to set the house more on ones personal flavour of fire.
10/29
@Jonzie_74
@Daojoan the essence of tragicomedy
11/29
@Rhona_Redtail
@Daojoan they where manipulated by a new form of AI, masquerading as human users, which could reinforce opinions favorable to Trump.
12/29
@Salty@mastodon.nz
@Daojoan because you think banana muffins are made of fish
13/29
@thierry_van_kerm
@Daojoan Indeed. That's why EU should ban Meta products too. US propaganda tools, including music, cinema, culture, social media, etc have acted as a 'powerful opioid fentanyl' on Europe and on many countries. It's time to get rid of it.
14/29
@rustbuckett
@Daojoan It's just a flimsy front like the whole fentanyl thing. He just wants to buy it because it's a wildly successful social media platform and he thinks he can make a lot of money from it. Maybe he can get some sweet tips from his buddy Elon on how to make money from the hostile buyout of a business that he doesn't understand.
15/29
@dnnsconroy@mastodon.world
@rustbuckett @Daojoan I agree, I think it's all about money and ownership, nothing to do with Chinese influence or national security. American billionaires are pissed that they missed out on TikTok. When the idea of a forced sale first hit the news months ago, the lead American investor was Trump's former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin. This idea was probably hatched during Trump 1.0 but they couldn't make it happen before his term ended.
16/29
@jmcrookston
@Daojoan yeah but Facebook is OUR face-eating leopard
17/29
@punissuer@universeodon.com
@Daojoan which is the logical thing to do for team fire...
18/29
@MamaLake
@Daojoan banning tiktok goes even deeper I think, just like the "save act" cuts women's votes off, tiktok is the lifeblood of many younger peoples connection to learning and communication and business. People have their own stores, rallies and information are passed, #cutewinterboots are called out, etc. tiktok being fukked with IMO was a display of dominance over free speech.
19/29
@PeachMcD@union.place
@MamaLake @Daojoan Twitter was where I learned global actions, political movements, & breaking news long before it showed up on #CorporateMedia... w very few adsPeople organized flash mobs & stayed safe at rallies. They reported & documented #PoliceBrutality Then #ElonMusk bought it & broke it I never got into #TikTok but this has the same smell to me
20/29
@MamaLake
@PeachMcD @Daojoan exactly! But Elon didnt break it, he controlled it, everyone that has stayed on eX LOVES to abuse and be abused. For every other free thinker it is effectively broken, proving that your data was never actually your data, we were just loaning it to eX and letting him manipulate clout with our data. Same as metai-testi. People stay because of their connections, which are manipulated for money.
21/29
@PeachMcD@union.place
@MamaLake @Daojoan He broke the parts that were useful to the 99% & created a new form of control by the 1%
22/29
@johnoestmannmusic
@Daojoan literally listening to the Careless People audiobook while reading this, and yes - couldn't agree more
23/29
@gpowerf
@Daojoan It's all rather absurd—not only because you're absolutely right that Facebook is far more toxic and harmful, but also because the TikTok ban has inadvertently driven Americans to Xiaohongshu. Now, they're not just socialising directly with Chinese netizens, but also learning Mandarin and even visiting their new friends in China.
24/29
@Ladylullabunk@vivaldi.net
@Daojoan Correct me if I'm wrong but more Gen x voted for Trump than Boomers.https://apnews.com/article/election...lack-voters0f3fbda3362f3dcfe41aa6b858f22d12It wasn't just Boomers who were 'radicalised' by facebook. It's not helpful to demonize a whole demographic.
25/29
@yuhasz01
@Daojoan American public view of Trumpy policies: don't just do something, stand there....
26/29
@Bredroll@mas.to
@Daojoan TT is even more unregulated than Meta. Neither are forces for good. TT is simply more addictive.
27/29
@bruvduroiu
@Daojoan Spending enough time on Chinese social media for years now, the general consensus is that western apps are banned to protect the Chinese population from foreign interference. Given the US is known to have done that in the past via Radio Free <insert here>, I think it’s reasonable.US should be humble take a page out of China’s book, for their own sake.
28/29
@DarthAstrius
@Daojoan Chinese influence is based anyways, I’m on Rednote, and they also hate both political parties.
29/29
@mcSlibinas
@Daojoan it's just good first step. Shame it will be last.
To post posts in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196
The Conversation U.S. (@TheConversationUS@newsie.social)
Attached: 1 image Nearly every major American social media platform is controlled by just one or two men. And Supreme Court decisions on corporate constitutional rights give those founders unprecedented power to shape society. https://buff.ly/TAwBoMy #CitizensUnited #HobbyLobby #TikTokBan
newsie.social
1/6
@TheConversationUS@newsie.social
Nearly every major American social media platform is controlled by just one or two men. And Supreme Court decisions on corporate constitutional rights give those founders unprecedented power to shape society. The founder kings of Silicon Valley: Dual-class stock gives US social media company controllers nearly as much power as ByteDance has over TikTok #CitizensUnited #HobbyLobby #TikTokBan
2/6
@Platform_Journalism@aus.social
@TheConversationUS Why might it surprise Americans? Surely this has been blindingly obvious for a long time?
3/6
@ottumm@mastodon.social
@TheConversationUS why would this be a surprise? There was a whole movie about it.
4/6
@drrjv@vmst.io
@TheConversationUS Except Mastodon #Mastodon
5/6
@CheapPontoon@beige.party
@TheConversationUS white men.
6/6
@Merecat25@mastodon.social
@TheConversationUS
To post posts in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196
@TheConversationUS@newsie.social
Nearly every major American social media platform is controlled by just one or two men. And Supreme Court decisions on corporate constitutional rights give those founders unprecedented power to shape society. The founder kings of Silicon Valley: Dual-class stock gives US social media company controllers nearly as much power as ByteDance has over TikTok #CitizensUnited #HobbyLobby #TikTokBan
2/6
@Platform_Journalism@aus.social
@TheConversationUS Why might it surprise Americans? Surely this has been blindingly obvious for a long time?
3/6
@ottumm@mastodon.social
@TheConversationUS why would this be a surprise? There was a whole movie about it.
4/6
@drrjv@vmst.io
@TheConversationUS Except Mastodon #Mastodon
5/6
@CheapPontoon@beige.party
@TheConversationUS white men.
6/6
@Merecat25@mastodon.social
@TheConversationUS
To post posts in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196
Charnita Fance (@chachafance@techhub.social)
"According to the law, either TikTok should be banned from U.S. devices right now, or its parent company, ByteDance, should have sold the social media application. Neither has happened." 🤔 #tiktokban...
techhub.social
1/1
@chachafance@techhub.social
"According to the law, either TikTok should be banned from U.S. devices right now, or its parent company, ByteDance, should have sold the social media application. Neither has happened." #tiktokbanWhat’s the Point in TikTok Ban If Trump Won’t Enforce It?
To post posts in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196
@chachafance@techhub.social
"According to the law, either TikTok should be banned from U.S. devices right now, or its parent company, ByteDance, should have sold the social media application. Neither has happened." #tiktokbanWhat’s the Point in TikTok Ban If Trump Won’t Enforce It?
To post posts in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196
1/11
@SpencerHakimian
A tiny Chinese company owned by same people that own TikTok just bought $300,000,000 of /search?q=#TRUMP Coin.
Now why do you think they did that?
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1922449501261885440/vid/avc1/1280x720/FY-3qFVXRvXPsb5f.mp4
2/11
@OneHegemony
@grok is this statement accurate? If not what is incorrect.
3/11
@SpencerHakimian
Yes
4/11
@TaylorOgan
“Produces content for TikTok” and has “China ties” is not the same thing as a “Chinese company owned by same people that own TikTok”
5/11
@SpencerHakimian
Interesting
6/11
@82squall
Erm….i give up.
7/11
@SpencerHakimian
Yes
8/11
@_Lokoto5000
Is this Alpha? Probably not
9/11
@SpencerHakimian
Yes
10/11
@DerekJT83
Just arrest him and freeze all of his assets already.
Demand new elections.
11/11
@SpencerHakimian
Yes
To post tweets in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196
@SpencerHakimian
A tiny Chinese company owned by same people that own TikTok just bought $300,000,000 of /search?q=#TRUMP Coin.
Now why do you think they did that?
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1922449501261885440/vid/avc1/1280x720/FY-3qFVXRvXPsb5f.mp4
2/11
@OneHegemony
@grok is this statement accurate? If not what is incorrect.
3/11
@SpencerHakimian
Yes
4/11
@TaylorOgan
“Produces content for TikTok” and has “China ties” is not the same thing as a “Chinese company owned by same people that own TikTok”
5/11
@SpencerHakimian
Interesting
6/11
@82squall
Erm….i give up.
7/11
@SpencerHakimian
Yes
8/11
@_Lokoto5000
Is this Alpha? Probably not
9/11
@SpencerHakimian
Yes
10/11
@DerekJT83
Just arrest him and freeze all of his assets already.
Demand new elections.
11/11
@SpencerHakimian
Yes
To post tweets in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196
White House launches official TikTok account after Trump vowed ban in 2020
US president was concerned over app’s Chinese ownership, but has softened after believing it won him 2024 election
www.theguardian.com
White House launches official TikTok account after Trump vowed ban in 2020
US president was concerned over app’s Chinese ownership, but has softened after believing it won him 2024 election
Guardian staff and agencies
Tue 19 Aug 2025 20.20 EDT
TikTok is a tremendously popular social media app with 170 million users in the US. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters
The White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, as Donald Trump continues to permit the Chinese-owned platform to operate in the US despite a law requiring its sale.
“America we are BACK! What’s up TikTok?” read a caption on the account’s first post, a 27-second clip, on the popular video-sharing app.
The account had about 4,500 followers an hour after posting the video. Trump’s personal account on TikTok meanwhile has 15.1 million followers, though his last post was on 5 November 2024 – election day.
Trump has a soft spot for the popular app, crediting it with helping him gain support among young voters when he defeated Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, in the November 2024 presidential election.
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...e-peers-to-fight-trumps-attack-on-environment
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...e-peers-to-fight-trumps-attack-on-environment
“The Trump administration is committed to communicating the historic successes President Trump has delivered to the American people with as many audiences and platforms as possible,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said as the account went live.
A federal law requiring TikTok’s sale or a ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Trump’s inauguration on 20 January.
But the Republican president, whose 2024 election campaign relied heavily on social media and who has said he is fond of TikTok, put the ban on pause.
TikTok is a tremendously popular social media app with 170 million users in the US. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, said in April that it had been in discussion with the US government regarding a solution for the app. It added that any agreement “will be subject to approval under Chinese law”.
In mid-June, Trump for the third time extended the deadline for the popular video-sharing app by another 90 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the United States.
That extension is due to expire in mid-September.
The idea of banning TikTok originated with Trump in 2020, who said the Chinese-owned app posed a danger to national security. It quickly became a bipartisan issue and Congress overwhelmingly voted to ban the app last year, which faced a legal challenge but was ultimately affirmed by the supreme court. The original deadline for the TikTok ban was 19 January.
Trump switched his stance on TikTok after joining the app while campaigning for president last year, amassing nearly 15 million followers and hosting the TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Chew also attended Trump’s inauguration.
While Trump had long supported a ban or divestment, he reversed his position and vowed to defend the platform – which boasts almost 2 billion global users – after coming to believe it helped him win young voters’ support in the November election.
Trump’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, has 108.5 million followers – though his favored social media outlet is Truth Social, which he owns, where he has 10.6 million followers.
The official White House accounts on X and Instagram have 2.4 million and 9.3 million followers, respectively.
Dara Kerr contributed reporting
This article was amended on 20 August 2025. An earlier version said that Donald Trump’s personal TikTok account had 101.1 million followers. In fact, that is the number of likes his account has and he has 15.1 million followers.
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UnbelievableWhite House launches official TikTok account after Trump vowed ban in 2020
US president was concerned over app’s Chinese ownership, but has softened after believing it won him 2024 election
White House launches official TikTok account after Trump vowed ban in 2020
US president was concerned over app’s Chinese ownership, but has softened after believing it won him 2024 election
Guardian staff and agencies
Tue 19 Aug 2025 20.20 EDT
TikTok is a tremendously popular social media app with 170 million users in the US. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters
The White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, as Donald Trump continues to permit the Chinese-owned platform to operate in the US despite a law requiring its sale.
“America we are BACK! What’s up TikTok?” read a caption on the account’s first post, a 27-second clip, on the popular video-sharing app.
The account had about 4,500 followers an hour after posting the video. Trump’s personal account on TikTok meanwhile has 15.1 million followers, though his last post was on 5 November 2024 – election day.
Trump has a soft spot for the popular app, crediting it with helping him gain support among young voters when he defeated Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, in the November 2024 presidential election.
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“The Trump administration is committed to communicating the historic successes President Trump has delivered to the American people with as many audiences and platforms as possible,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said as the account went live.
A federal law requiring TikTok’s sale or a ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Trump’s inauguration on 20 January.
But the Republican president, whose 2024 election campaign relied heavily on social media and who has said he is fond of TikTok, put the ban on pause.
TikTok is a tremendously popular social media app with 170 million users in the US. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, said in April that it had been in discussion with the US government regarding a solution for the app. It added that any agreement “will be subject to approval under Chinese law”.
In mid-June, Trump for the third time extended the deadline for the popular video-sharing app by another 90 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the United States.
That extension is due to expire in mid-September.
The idea of banning TikTok originated with Trump in 2020, who said the Chinese-owned app posed a danger to national security. It quickly became a bipartisan issue and Congress overwhelmingly voted to ban the app last year, which faced a legal challenge but was ultimately affirmed by the supreme court. The original deadline for the TikTok ban was 19 January.
Trump switched his stance on TikTok after joining the app while campaigning for president last year, amassing nearly 15 million followers and hosting the TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Chew also attended Trump’s inauguration.
While Trump had long supported a ban or divestment, he reversed his position and vowed to defend the platform – which boasts almost 2 billion global users – after coming to believe it helped him win young voters’ support in the November election.
Trump’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, has 108.5 million followers – though his favored social media outlet is Truth Social, which he owns, where he has 10.6 million followers.
The official White House accounts on X and Instagram have 2.4 million and 9.3 million followers, respectively.
Dara Kerr contributed reporting
This article was amended on 20 August 2025. An earlier version said that Donald Trump’s personal TikTok account had 101.1 million followers. In fact, that is the number of likes his account has and he has 15.1 million followers.
