TikTok CEO Shou Chew has sought insights from Elon Musk. It is regarding the looming danger of facing a ban in the US. The Wall Street Journal reports that Chew has been in talks with Musk for the past few weeks regarding the Donald Trump administration. Musk is one of President-elect Trump’s closest confidants if you are unaware. TikTok CEO and owner ByteDance’s executives met with people close to both Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
TikTok is trying to navigate the unknown waters ahead by seeking counsel from Elon Musk
A law signed by President Biden mandates ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US company or face a ban by mid-January 2025 if you were unaware. Thus TikTok CEO is seeking council from Elon Musk to navigate the unknown waters, suggests the report. However, the two tech CEOs didn’t discuss specific measures to keep TikTok running in the US, the report adds. Notably, The Wall Street Journal published this report on Saturday citing people familiar with the matter.
TikTok CEO Chew initiated messages with the Tesla CEO in recent weeks. He asked for his opinions on various topics ranging from the incoming administration to potential tech policy in the US. Chew has informed ByteDance’s senior leadership of the interactions with the owner of the rival platform X. Notably, sources suggest that ByteDance’s core executives are optimistic about potential solutions emerging with these talks between the two tech CEOs.
After trying to ban TikTok for years ago, Trump now promises to “save” it
It’s worth mentioning that Trump tried to ban TikTok four years ago during his Presidency. During his first term, Trump was one of the biggest opponents of the Chinese social media giant TikTok. He sought to ban the popular app from the US on national security grounds. However, as he prepares for a second term, he has reversed himself.
He now vows to protect TikTok from a looming US ban. This could be one of the reasons TikTok has approved Musk to get his opinion on the Trump administration policies.
