There are reports that Larry Ellison of Oracle fame is the leading candidate to take over TikTok. The social media application is up for sale due to pressure from the US Government. Earlier this year, the app was eliminated from both Google and Apple stores, only to return a few hours later.
The reprieve was temporary. It was decided by the US Government that the application, and its ties to China by its parent company to China, pose a threat to American sovereignty.
As an aside, I often wonder if this is truly the case. After what we witnessed regarding social media and government control over the last few years, is this the issue? Or are we looking at a situation where TikTok is upsetting to the Feds because they cannot control it.
That aside, Ellison is looking at picking up the social media giant.
Wikipedia Oracle To Take Over TikTok
When Trump revoked the suspension, he stated that he was open to either Ellison or Musk taking over Tiktok.
Musk, who owns X, would be a bad option. There is no reason to put another social media entity in the hands of one individual.
That said, Ellison might not be falling far from the tree on this one. His son, David, is the founder and CEO of Skydance Media. This might right a bell since it is the company that is in line to buy Paramount. A deal was struck between the parties, something that is hindered because of Trump's lawsuit (for $20 billion against CBS) and the FCC requiring to sign off on the deal.
What an incestuous web we are weaving.
Would Oracle really take the plunge into this. Bytedance wants Ellison to partner with them, something that could get the US Government off its back. Oracle already provides cloud services for Bytedance, something that would further insulate the exportation of data.
A partnership might be in the cards since Ellison would not have to run it. After all, what does he know about social media? If there was a purchase, would this end up being slide under his son's domain?
This would create the same situation as with Musk. If TikTok was integrated with Skydance, especially if the Paramount deal goes through, we would see a new major player in media overnight.
Digital Media
Microsoft is another company that is reported to have an interest in TikTok. The company is in the process of shutting down its Skype service. At present, there is little media presence from the Redmond company.
We are witnessing the entire entertainment industry disrupted. Amazon bought out MGM a couple of years ago, enhancing its library under the Amazon Prime Video label. Then we have the potential Paramount deal. MSNBC is being spun out of NBC. CNN is reportedly up for sale.
Now we have TikTok looking at changing hands. All the while, Google is the number 1 streaming platform, outpacing even Netflix.
The lines between these industries are being erased. Ultimately, they will be the same. Since AI is going to be driving it all, we should not be surprised. Companies are positioning themselves.
At the core, more data.
