"Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J. Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States," the tech giant announced in a blog post Sunday.
According to administration officials, Trump had been weighing options to force Beijing-based parent company ByteDance to divest in TikTok in the United States because of national security concerns.
The president himself recently told reporters he'll be banning the Communist Chinese app which many western government agencies and businesses have banned over privacy and security concerns.
But after talks with the President, Microsoft said it "fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury."
Microsoft also confirmed that the company is in talks for to purchase TikTok operations in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
“This new structure would build on the experience TikTok users currently love, while adding world-class security, privacy, and digital safety protections,” the tech giant said in its post.
President Trump reportedly gave the Microsoft 45 days to complete the deal with ByteDance.
The company wrote: "Microsoft will move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, in a matter of weeks, and in any event completing these discussions no later than September 15, 2020. During this process, Microsoft looks forward to continuing dialogue with the United States Government, including with the President. "Microsoft will move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, in a matter of weeks, and in any event completing these discussions no later than September 15, 2020. During this process, Microsoft looks forward to continuing dialogue with the United States Government, including with the President."
Microsoft has focused mainly on enterprise software for the past decade. This will be the company's first real push into consumer social media. It does own professional networking site LinkedIn.
Some far left democrats including presidential nominee Joe Biden and activists have been called out on social media for not backing Trump administration's tough stance against the communist Chinese regime which reportedly has over a million muslim Uigurs in concentration camps in China.