Microsoft confirmed on Sunday that it is in talks with Chinese company ByteDance to acquire the U.S. arm of its popular TikTok video app, and has discussed with President Donald Trump its concerns about security and censorship surrounding the acquisition.
In a statement, Microsoft said that Microsoft and ByteDance have notified their intention to explore a deal that results in Microsoft owning and operating the TikTok service in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The company said it expects those talks to end on September 15.
Trump said Friday that he would soon ban TikTok in the United States. Trump and CEO Satya Nadella have spoken, the company said, and Microsoft was prepared to continue exploring the purchase of TikTok's U.S. operations after their conversation.
"Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the president's concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a full security review and to providing adequate economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury," said the Microsoft statement. .
The White House had no immediate comment on Microsoft's statement.
Previously, there were reports that Microsoft was in advanced talks to buy the U.S. operations from TikTok, which has been a source of national security concerns and censorship for the Trump administration. The previous Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again raised the administration's warnings about the social media platform.
"These Chinese software companies doing business in the United States, be it TikTok or WeChat, there are countless more ... they are sending data directly to the Chinese Communist Party, their national security apparatus," Pompeo said on the Fox News Channel "Sunday Morning. " Futures."
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