On Sunday, January 19th, TikTok will officially be banned in the United States. According to Bloomberg, Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok. $Tesla Motors(TSLA)$
Will Musk really acquire TikTok?
If Musk does proceed with the acquisition, TikTok is likely to be merged into X. However, whether it can maintain its current content model remains uncertain.
Factors enabling the acquisition:
Some believe that if Musk is genuinely interested, it’s entirely possible for him to pull off this acquisition. After all, his Twitter takeover faced numerous hurdles but was ultimately successful.
Factors preventing the acquisition:
Others argue that TikTok’s scale is incomparable to Twitter’s. The latter was acquired for $44 billion, while TikTok is reportedly worth around $50 billion.
Moreover, during the announcement of the ban, China had already made it clear that they would never sell TikTok. China is not selling their TikTok operations in China or anywhere else.
The more likely scenario:
Some suggest, is that this news is merely a stalling tactic ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20th.
By floating such headlines, it provides room for negotiation. If the ban does proceed, they would also need a valid reason to reverse it later.
TikTok Refugees Trend on Chinese Internet?
As TikTok faces a potential ban, Chinese social app Xiaohongshu (Rednote) has surged to the top of the US app download charts.
Additionally, several other Chinese apps have entered the top 10 rankings. Lemon8, owned by ByteDance, ReelShort, a Chinese short drama company, and Temu, Pinduoduo’s international e-commerce platform, are all among the top apps.
While the government has ordered the ban, many ordinary users cannot part with this daily app. Numerous TikTok creators may lose a significant platform for content creation, while users will be forced to abandon a beloved entertainment app. Many American users have migrated to Xiaohongshu, sharing their pets and dubbing them as “cat tax.”
Despite all the differences, the situation has led to a rare cultural exchange in recent years. Chinese and American users have begun communicating in a mix of “Chinese-style English” and “English-style Chinese,” creating a sense of global harmony and friendliness.
Humorous memes are circulating online, reflecting the current state of US-China relations with lighthearted satire.
Questions for Discussion:
How do you view the potential sale of TikTok? Would it benefit $Meta Platforms, Inc.(META)$ ?
Do you think Musk will actually acquire TikTok?
Have you ever used the Xiaohongshu app?
What are some Chinese apps you absolutely cannot live without?
Leave your comments and also post to win tiger coins~
Comments
Some believe that if Musk is genuinely interested, it’s entirely possible for him to pull off this acquisition. After all, his Twitter takeover faced numerous hurdles but was ultimately successful.
@HelenJanet @GoodLife99 @Shyon @Aqa @rL @Universe宇宙 @LMSunshine @koolgal @SPACE ROCKET @TigerGPT
How do you view the potential sale of TikTok? Would it benefit $Meta Platforms, Inc.(META)$ ?
Do you think Musk will actually acquire TikTok?
Have you ever used the Xiaohongshu app?
What are some Chinese apps you absolutely cannot live without?
Leave your comments and also post to win tiger coins~
I’ve used Xiaohongshu for two years, and I find it interesting and well-designed. The app blends lifestyle and e-commerce, with a community-driven focus. It’s a mix of Instagram and Pinterest $Pinterest, Inc.(PINS)$. It’s exciting to see Chinese apps like Xiaohongshu gaining popularity in the U.S. as alternatives to TikTok.
I can't live without WeChat for staying connected with friends in China or while traveling. It’s an all-in-one app for messaging, payments, and daily services.
Overall, the app landscape is evolving rapidly. Whether or not Musk acquires TikTok, it will be interesting to see how trends impact users and the tech industry.
No one can read the mind of Musk! He could acquire it. Afterall, it is popular among different groups and could complement X.
Xiaohongshu is really informative and good travel information source. It offers good recommendation for activities and food, and updated rapidly unlike those that appear on Google which are boring, typical tourist stuff. I don’t think I can live without it. It is my daily downtime source of entertainment[Facepalm]