Oracle may bid for TikTok’s US operations: FT

The race for TikTok’s U.S operations could have a new contender: Oracle.

According to Britain’s Financial Times newspaper, the tech company has held preliminary talks with the app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance.

Oracle is reportedly considering buying TikTok’s operations in the U.S, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The FT said on Monday, August 17, that Oracle was working with some U.S. investors that already have a stake in ByteDance.

There was no immediate comment from ByteDance, TikTok or Oracle on the FT report.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Twitter had approached ByteDance to express its interest.

While Microsoft was still the favourite to clinch a deal.

The FT also said that Microsoft has considered a bid to take over TikTok operations beyond the nations it outlined earlier in August.

Europe and India are reportedly of particular interest, even though the app was recently banned by the Indian government after border tensions with China.

But ByteDance is opposed to the idea of selling any additional assets.

Donald Trump last week ordered the firm to divest U.S. operations of the video app within 90 days.

He’s cranking up the pressure on the Chinese company over concerns about the safety of the personal data it handles.