 "VP Vance to oversee TikTok sale as bid war begins over who will takeover ByteDance's stake")
As social media video-sharing app TikTok fights for its survival in the United States, Vice President JD Vance reportedly will be overseeing the sale of the app from its Chinese parent company. A source familiar with the matter told The New York Post, that Vance, who formerly owned his own venture capital firm, will be supported by national security adviser Michael Waltz in this endeavour.
The reports are coming weeks after US President Donald Trump threw a lifeline to the popular app on his first day in the White House, TikTok saved itself from getting banned in the US after Trump extended the deadline for Chinese-based firm ByteDance to divest from the app. Waltz was one of the national security hawks in Congress who have long warned about the threat the platform poses to Americans.
The matter became even more concerning after both congressional and independent investigators confirmed that a trove of 170 million US users’ data is accessible by the Chinese Communist Party.
Who will get their hands on TikTok?
Last month, Trump teased that Microsoft had expressed interest in purchasing TikTok but added that it could turn into a full-blown “bidding war” among several US companies. As per the reports, Frank McCourt, the billionaire business partner of “Shark Tank” host Kevin O’Leary, visited Capitol Hill this week to speak with Republicans about a possible purchase.
Last year, Congress passed and former US President Joe Biden enacted legislation which required TikTok to be spun off from ByteDance or be banned in the US. One of the Republicans who met with McCourt, earlier this week was Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, who has been pushing for full divestment and a “complete break from Communist China in accordance with the law."
The qualified divestment was supposed to be done before Jan 19. The app went dark right before it passed the deadline. However, on Jan 20, Trump signed an order extending the sale deadline by 75 days. The extension now gives all the parties a deadline of April 5 to reach some sort of a conclusive deal.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWith inputs from agencies.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
