Amazon has filed an application to buy TikTok in the United States, as the deadline for the app to be sold is approaching. Otherwise, it will be banned in the country.
This was reported by The New York Times.
Interlocutors of the publication say that the parties to the negotiations do not take Amazon’s initiative seriously. According to an informed source, the proposal was sent in the form of a letter addressed to Vice President J.D. Vance and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Luthnick. The issue with TikTok should be resolved by April 5.
President Donald Trump planned to meet with senior White House officials on Wednesday to discuss TikTok’s future. The NYT reported a potential deal that could attract new American investors, including tech giant Oracle and investment firm Blackstone, bypassing a formal sale. It is unclear whether this option would satisfy federal law.
Amazon already has some ties to TikTok. The app has become a retail shopping hub where influencers recommend products to users. Although the company has its own e-commerce site, TikTok Shop, many bloggers encourage people to buy products on Amazon.
This is not the first retailer interested in the Chinese app. In 2020, Microsoft and Walmart claimed TikTok. Representatives of the app claim that it is not for sale, partly because the Chinese government would have blocked the deal.