Trump says Microsoft preparing bid for TikTok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok, US President Donald Trump has said, suggesting a "bidding war" on the sale of the Chinese social media app.

In response to a reporter’s query, the US leader confirmed the American tech giant was preparing a bid. He said several companies were eyeing TikTok.

The BBC quoted Trump as telling a gathering of Republican politicians in Florida about the proposed sale of TikTok.

"We'll see what happens. We're going to have a lot of people bidding on it," he said, adding: "If we can save all that voice and all the jobs, and China won't be involved, we don't want China involved, but we'll see what happens." Last week, Trump signed an executive order, delaying a ban on TikTok before the app briefly went offline for 170 million users in the US.

ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, has been under pressure to sell its US operations because of security concerns from the American administration.

A Microsoft spokesperson, meanwhile, said the company had "nothing to share at this time".

PAN Monitor/mud