TikTok building new US app ahead of sale deadline: The Information
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The news: TikTok is building a new version of its app for users in the US, ahead of a planned sale of the app to a group of investors, The Information reported citing unnamed sources.
The new TikTok app, known internally as “M2” is planned to launch to US app stores on 5 September, just days before the repeatedly extended 17 September deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US assets.
Under the plan, TikTok users will eventually have to download the new app to continue using the service, although the existing app will work until March of next year, according to the report.
The context: The move comes as Trump said on Friday (Saturday AEST) the US “pretty much” has a deal on the sale of TikTok’s US operations and will start talking to China next week for approval.
The Chinese government’s approval remains the biggest hurdle. TikTok has not commented on the report.
What they said: “I think we're gonna start Monday or Tuesday...talking to China, perhaps President Xi or one of his representatives, but we would we pretty much have a deal,” Trump told reporters.
The source: The Information
