Elon Musk rules out acquiring TikTok amid legal pressures

Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and close advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, has stated that he is not interested in acquiring TikTok’s operations in the United States.

TikTok DOWNLOAD

During a forum in Germany, Musk stated: “I have not made an offer for TikTok and I have no plans on what I would do if I had TikTok.”

This statement comes in a context where the popular social media platform is facing new legal pressures in the U.S. that could force the separation from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, due to concerns about user data collection.

Elon Musk is not interested in TikTok for these reasons

The Trump administration had paused the enforcement of the law that could have seen TikTok banned in the country just before Trump took office for his second term. Additionally, the president claimed to be open to the possible purchase of the platform by Musk. Despite this openness, Musk emphasizes that he does not plan to take the reins of TikTok, commenting that he does not use the app and is not eager to acquire it.

Taking control of Twitter, now known as X, in 2022 for 44 billion dollars, Musk has faced criticism for an increase in hate speech and misinformation on the platform, raising concerns about fostering a more toxic environment for public discourse.

Musk has also expressed his commitment to initiatives to cut the government budget, targeting agencies that do not align with Trump’s agenda.

Recently, a U.S. judge issued an emergency order preventing Musk’s government reform team from accessing personal and financial data of millions of Americans stored in the Department of the Treasury. In his comments in Germany, Musk also criticized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, calling them ‘renamed racism’, which aligns with movements in the U.S. to dismantle such programs.

TikTok DOWNLOAD

On the other hand, Musk’s support for the far-right AfD party in Germany has generated controversy, adding an additional layer of complexities to his public figure in the political and social sphere.