With the clock ticking on the deadline for TikTok to acquire new ownership in the US or face a ban, Amazon has put in a last-minute bid, insiders tell outlets including the AP and the New York Times. The Times' sources say Amazon made the offer in a letter to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, but "various parties who have been involved in the talks" do not appear to be taking it seriously. Trump is scheduled to meet with senior White House officials Wednesday to discuss the TikTok's future, the AP reports.
The Times' sources say one possible deal being discussed would see new US investors like Oracle and Blackstone brought in; no formal sale of the platform would occur in that case, though it's unclear if that would be permitted under the federal law banning TikTok in the US unless it is sold by Chinese parent company ByteDance. That law was upheld by the Supreme Court in January and was due to take effect that month, but President Trump extended the deadline until Saturday and has said he could extend it again, though he expects a deal will be reached before then.
Billionaire Frank McCourt is leading a consortium that aims to buy TikTok and give users more control over their data. Other companies and investors that have proposed bids include Perplexity AI and a consortium that includes Roblox CEO David Baszucki and YouTube star MrBeast, reports Engadget. (More TikTok stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
