TikTok owner ByteDance to step up legal, PR fight in Trump’s war against Chinese-owned app, sources say

The Chinese owners of TikTok plan to step up opposition to a ban on US operations, as criticism grows at home the firm is kowtowing to American demands. Negotiations with Microsoft and social media giant Twitter for a forced sale are unlikely to succeed, says a source briefed on the matter. — SCMP

ByteDance, the Chinese owner of short video hit TikTok, is preparing to escalate its legal and public relations battle against US President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban the app in the United States unless it is sold, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Meanwhile, ongoing talks with potential suitor Microsoft, as well as reported preliminary talks with social media giant Twitter, are unlikely to end in a deal, said one of the people who has been briefed on the talks but who declined to be named as the information is not public.