Microsoft is continuing talks to purchase the US operations of Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok. If successful, Microsoft could operate the app in the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently spoke with US President Donald Trump, after concerns were raised about the purchase. Microsoft said that an acquisition of TikTok would be “subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury”. 

The company intends to complete discussions with TikTok’s parent company ByteDance by 15 September 2020.  

Microsoft says that it plans to “build on the experience TikTok users currently love, while adding world-class security, privacy, and digital safety protections”. The organisation also intends to secure the data of American users by ensuring it is transferred to and remains in the USA. According to Microsoft, any data that is currently stored or backed up outside the USA would be deleted from these servers after being transferred. 

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