Is it really 2025? Hard to believe, right? Yet here we are, witnessing Microsoft’s rumored interest in acquiring TikTok coming up again.
If you missed the drama last year, here’s a quick recap: Congress in the U.S. passed a bill pushing TikTok, owned by a China-based company, to sell off its American interests or face shutdown. Former President Joe Biden allowed the bill to pass into law. TikTok refused to sell, and this led to a brief blackout of the app last Sunday. Surprisingly, it reappeared quickly, with a thank-you message to the new President Trump for providing a bit of a lifeline.
President Trump granted TikTok a 90-day grace period. However, app marketplaces like Google Play and Apple haven’t reinstated it due to the legislation. So, the fate of TikTok in the U.S. hangs in the balance—either shut down or find a willing buyer in the next few months.
According to NPR, and as shared by The Verge, Microsoft might just be that buyer, once again considering this move.
The app’s algorithm has often been criticized for its addictive nature and its potential to create echo chambers that radicalize users. U.S. authorities see it as a potential national security threat, fearing it could be used to spread propaganda or track users on American soil, given its ties with China’s Bytedance and, indirectly, the Chinese Communist Party. Across the Atlantic, the EU is examining TikTok’s influence on the rise of extremist groups and its involvement in spreading Russian political narratives.
There’s buzzing speculation that the White House is mulling over a plan where Oracle might acquire TikTok’s global operations, with Bytedance keeping a minor stake. Microsoft, it appears, is also part of these discussions to some degree, although the specifics of their involvement remain cloaked in mystery. None of the parties involved have provided any comments as yet.
TikTok, with its massive following among Gen Alpha and Gen Z, stands as a formidable social media force. While Meta rules Instagram and Facebook, Google commands YouTube, and Amazon owns Twitch, Microsoft has…LinkedIn.
Certainly, LinkedIn is a successful business, but its professional focus doesn’t exactly ignite cultural trends. If Microsoft were to embrace a network like TikTok, the synergy could potentially elevate its consumer platforms—Windows, Surface, and Xbox—to new heights. Imagine integrated TikTok features on Xbox or a cutting-edge video editor on Windows built with TikTok tools. Of course, we’ve seen ambitious thoughts like these before, notably with Skype’s acquisition, which didn’t exactly revolutionize communication as anticipated.
Yet, realistically speaking, Microsoft might not end up owning TikTok outright. The company benefits significantly from TikTok being one of its major Azure AI clients, with TikTok leveraging these machine learning capabilities even though Oracle hosts most of their operations in their cloud. So, Microsoft’s role could remain largely tied to its Azure AI partnership.
But, just imagine the possibilities if Microsoft were to step into the TikTok arena. What changes could that bring?
