More potential buyers for TikTok are surfacing as the bill aimed to ban the app in the US inch closer to implementation.
In a CNBC interview on Thursday, former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he is "going to put together a group to buy TikTok" from its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance.
Ahead of Mnuchin, online live-streaming platform Rumble offered TikTok "to serve as a cloud technology partner" for the video-sharing site hosting over 170 million Americans daily.
An offer for TikTok from our CEO @chrispavlovski pic.twitter.com/lIeZ6IXANU
— Rumble 🏴☠️ (@rumblevideo) March 12, 2024
Former Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby has earlier been reported to express interest in acquiring the platform with a potential partnership with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
It is worth noting that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has yet to declare any intentions to sell off TikTok, promising to "overcome this together."
Also Read : Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Interested in TikTok Acquisition Despite Looming Ban
TikTok Ban Looms Closer After House Panel Vote
Congress earlier warned TikTok to separate from ByteDance or face a nationwide ban in the US once the bill is passed.
As of writing, the proposed Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is heading to Senate panel after passing the House of Representatives with a 352-65 vote.
According to the legislation, ByteDance and all "foreign adversary controlled applications" will be banned in the US to prevent adversary countries from accessing US users' data.
It is worth noting, however, that TikTok stores all of its US users' data and algorithms in Texas-based Oracle's cloud servers.
There is no report yet proving that China has tampered with US customers' data through ByteDance or directly from TikTok.
US President Joe Biden has already endorsed the bill ahead of the House panel decision, saying that "I'll sign it" if it passes Congress.
Young Americans Protest Vs Looming TikTok Ban
Amid calls for potential buyers on the platform, younger generations of Americans have been expressing
TikTok, along with YouTube, has been the most popular social media app for Gen Zs and younger Millennials, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
With the concentration of young adults on the platform, TikTok also become the host for political ideologies more common in younger generations.
Among these were criticisms towards the US government for its support of Israel's genocide of Palestinians, stricter actions towards immigrants, and the rising inflation in the country.
Potential threat of China affecting people's political perceptions ahead of the election period has been cited as among the main reasons for the proposed legislation.
At least one-fourth of the total voting population in the US has been accounted to be Gen Zs.
