2For decades, people around the world have been using various forms of social media to keep in touch with friends and family. It began with MySpace in 2003, but really exploded when Facebook launched in 2004. Since then, social media has taken over as our main form of communication, with people loving everything from Instagram to Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), and more.
In 2018, the Chinese app TikTok launched in the US, allowing users to post short videos of everything from recipes to personal anecdotes, dancing, singing, and more. While it was slow to take off, TikTok really exploded when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, and it became a huge way for people to connect.
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In recent years, the social media app has come under fire for being owned by a Chinese company. Politicians have accused the Chinese Communist Party of using TikTok to access the personal information of private American citizens. However, those citizens don’t seem to mind. Despite warning users against giving out personal information, TikTok only continues to grow in popularity.
However, those who love TikTok might soon be unable to use it. The government has been working hard to ban it in the US to protect Americans’ privacy. President Joe Biden even signed a bill that will require it to be sold to a new, non-Chinese owner by 2025.
Related: Unpopular Update: Social Media Ban ‘Likely’ at Disney World and Disneyland
With so many users worried that their favorite platform would soon disappear, they thought they saw some light at the end of the tunnel when a rumor went viral that TikTok had been purchased by Disney.
The article stated that Disney had agreed to purchase TikTok for a whopping $100 billion — nearly $30 billion more than it paid for its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019. Should the purchase go through, it would have been Disney’s most expensive purchase to date.
And while $100 billion is a staggering amount of money, TikTok reported revenue of $16 billion last year, and it’s on target to keep making more.
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So, is there any truth to these rumors?
Well, unfortunately, no. The article was written by MouseTrap News, which, for those unfamiliar with the site, is basically The Onion for Disney fans. The site prides itself on its satirical content, which can sometimes seem so accurate that it tricks those who do not know it only writes fake news.
ByteDance — the Chinese company that owns TikTok — has been fighting the ban, but their legal attempts have been fruitless. Most recently, the US Court of Appeals sided with the US government and its lawyers, writing that the Chinese government has so much control over companies like ByteDance that the risk to Americans remains high.
Do you use TikTok to share your Disney content? How would you feel if the US government banned TikTok? Do you think Disney should really consider buying it, so the platform won’t get banned? Share your thoughts in the comments!