- Amazon has reportedly made a last-minute bid to buy TikTok ahead of the April 5 U.S. deadline.
- Some insiders say the offer isn’t being taken seriously, but Amazon’s existing ties to TikTok make the move plausible.
- Trump is meeting with officials to discuss TikTok’s future as a full sale or U.S. investor workaround remains undecided.
In a twist few saw coming, Amazon is now reportedly in the mix to buy TikTok, just days before the app’s April deadline to separate from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Sources told the Wall Street Journal that Amazon submitted a last-minute bid, throwing its hat into a high-stakes situation that’s been brewing for months. The U.S. has long pressured ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American company or face a nationwide ban.
A Bid No One Saw Coming
According to the New York Times, not everyone involved in the talks is taking Amazon’s offer seriously. In fact, some insiders described the move as unexpected and—possibly—a long shot.
Apparently, Amazon’s bid was submitted through an official letter addressed to Sen. JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to someone familiar with the matter.
Meanwhile, the April 5 deadline—pushed back by President Trump in January—is creeping closer. The White House has yet to confirm if any agreement is close, but without one, the ban threat is very much back on the table.
What’s in It for Amazon?
The move actually isn’t as random as it sounds. TikTok has grown into a massive force in online shopping, with influencers pushing everything from skincare to kitchen gadgets. While TikTok has its own e-commerce feature, TikTok Shop, many users still link out to—you guessed it—Amazon.
Beyond product sales, Amazon has also quietly provided technical infrastructure for TikTok. So, there’s already some relationship in place, even if it’s mostly behind the scenes.
Déjà Vu All Over Again
This isn’t the first time a U.S. giant has tried to snap up TikTok. Back in 2020, Microsoft and Walmart teamed up to make a bid, but that fell apart. TikTok stayed under ByteDance’s umbrella, and the pressure to sell eventually faded—until now.
With national security concerns once again taking center stage—mainly around data privacy and Chinese ownership—Trump’s administration is reconsidering its options. Some officials are exploring a workaround involving U.S. investors instead of a full-blown sale, but that plan hasn’t gained much traction yet.
Silence from Both Sides
As of now, neither Amazon nor TikTok has commented on the reported bid.
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to meet with senior White House advisors Wednesday to go over next steps. Time’s ticking—and the fate of one of the world’s biggest social platforms is still up in the air.
