Elon Musk contacted by TikTok CEO as key deadline looms

The two have known each other for several years. So, despite owning rival social media platform X, Musk was asked for his opinions on a range of issues, including the incoming Trump administration and potential technology policy, after Chew initiated messages in recent weeks, the report said.

While a Jan. 19 deadline looms for parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a US ban, Musk and Chew did not discuss specific options for TikTok to continue operating here, sources said. Journal.

Still, Chew has updated ByteDance executives on the discussions, and they are cautiously optimistic about their U.S. prospects, the report added.

Representatives for TikTok and Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Having contributed more than $100 million to help elect Trump and hitting the campaign trail for him, Musk has emerged as an influential figure during the transition.

He has attended talks between Trump and foreign leaders, made regular appearances at Mar-a-Lago and attended a UFC fight with the president-elect last weekend. Trump has retaliated and attended a SpaceX rocket launch last week.

Seemingly inseparable, Musk has been called Trump’s “first mate,” a designation that tech billionaire happily embraced.

The lines of communication between Musk and Chew could be critical as ByteDance navigates the next few months. A law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in April requires the Chinese company to divest TikTok or be banned. It will take effect on January 19, the day before Trump’s inauguration.

While Trump tried to ban TikTok in his first term, he opposed the law that was signed into law this year. And sources said Washington Post this month that Trump will try to block a US ban and fulfill a campaign promise.

So far, he hasn’t given any details on how he would do it. To fully reverse the law, Congress would have to pass another bill, which Trump would then sign.

But That’s what experts tell ABC News that Trump could also order his Justice Department not to enforce the law currently on the books, instead of passing a new law.

He could also help broker a deal that puts TikTok in the hands of a US buyer, although ByteDance has signaled opposition to that. The current law includes a provision for a 90-day extension of the deadline if ByteDance is moving toward an agreement to sell TikTok.

For his part, Chew said in April “we’re not going anywhere“, and TikTok has sued, claiming the law violates free speech. A federal appeals court could rule next month.

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