Elon Musk says he is not interested in buying TikTok
Billionaire Elon Musk has stated that he is not interested in purchasing TikTok, despite speculation following U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting he could buy the app.
The U.S. DOJ urges the Supreme Court to reject Trump’s request to delay TikTok’s potential ban or forced sale by Jan. 19, citing national security concerns and data privacy issues.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a request with the Supreme Court late on Friday to deny President-elect Donald Trump's request to delay a law requiring the popular social media app TikTok to either be sold or banned by January 19.
Trump had filed a legal brief last week, seeking time after his inauguration on January 20 to pursue a "political resolution" on the matter. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on January 10.
The law, enacted in April, mandates that TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, divest its U.S. assets or face a ban. TikTok has yet to comment on the matter.
The DOJ argued in its filing that Trump’s request could only be granted if ByteDance could demonstrate a strong likelihood of success in the case, which the company has not done. The government stated that China’s attempts to undermine U.S. interests through data collection and covert influence operations are widely acknowledged.
The government also argued that ByteDance’s control of TikTok poses a significant national security threat, pointing to the vast amount of sensitive data TikTok collects from 170 million Americans, which could be used for espionage.
Trump's lawyer, D. John Sauer, argued that the incoming administration should be allowed time to negotiate a political resolution and requested that the Court postpone the divestment deadline.
TikTok, on the other hand, asked the Supreme Court to block the law on the grounds of free speech under the First Amendment. It pointed out that Congress had not taken action against other Chinese-owned apps like Shein or Temu, suggesting TikTok was being targeted due to its content, not its data practices.
If the law is not blocked by January 19, new downloads of TikTok would be banned on app stores like Apple and Google, although existing users could still access the app. Over time, however, the app’s functionality would degrade as companies would be prohibited from providing support.
President Biden could extend the deadline by 90 days if ByteDance makes significant progress toward divesting TikTok’s U.S. assets.
Trump's stance on TikTok has shifted since 2020, when he attempted to block the app and push for its sale due to concerns over its Chinese ownership.
The Sarandí stream in Buenos Aires, Argentina, turned bright red on Thursday for unknown reasons, raising concerns among authorities and residents. The waterway, which flows into the Río de la Plata, is under investigation to determine the cause.
Uzbekistan’s flag carrier has announced airline’s plan to purchase a dozen of aircrafts from Boeing and Airbus, marking a significant milestone in upgrading and expanding its fleet.
Azerbaijan has halted activities of “Russian House” in Baku according to local media reports on Thursday, following accusations of espionage. This is being described as an escalation of tensions between the two countries.
Elon Musk has called for the shutdown of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA), arguing that the U.S.-funded media outlets serve as government propaganda tools and waste taxpayer money.
A major fire erupted near Istanbul’s historic Spice Bazaar in the Eminonu district on Thursday, quickly spreading to nearby buildings. Emergency teams, including firefighters and medical personnel, were dispatched to control the blaze and ensure public safety.
BP CEO Murray Auchincloss pledged on Tuesday to fundamentally reset the company's strategy as it reported a 35% fall in annual profits, missing analysts' expectations.
Apple is reportedly working on a version of AirPods Pro with integrated cameras, set to launch as early as 2027, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. While the cameras won’t be featured in the upcoming AirPods Pro 3, the new tech aims to enhance AI-driven features and spatial audio integration.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will introduce 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, on top of existing metals duties, in another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul.
The year 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal period for commercial lunar exploration, with half a dozen missions slated to launch over the coming months. These ventures, led by private companies under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, mark a significant expansion of commercial
Elon Musk and a group of investors have submitted a $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The offer was presented to OpenAI’s board on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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