Microsoft’s possible acquisition of the TikTok brand has proven to be far from easy, however, as sources familiar with the deal have likened it to “multi-dimensional chess” that involves multiple layers of stakeholders with varying interests, including governments and minority shareholders.
Another major issue is figuring out how to carve out TikTok’s technology from the wider technological portfolio of ByteDance which includes a China-facing TikTok sister equivalent known as Douyin.
It has been argued that securing an overly complicated deal of this nature is impossible under Trump’s proposed window of 45 days. According to various sources, separating TikTok’s technology could take between five and eight years, pointing to the labyrinth-like nature of ByteDance.
China is also decrying the purchase as ‘theft,’ calling America a “rogue country” over the potential acquisition, further complicating the situation.
If a deal were to be secured, it would be a huge win for U.S. national security as well as Microsoft, giving the tech giant an edge in a highly competitive social media marketplace.
