Twitch rival Rumble wants to acquire TikTok amid US ban threats
Rumble/TikTokStreaming and video platform Rumble is stepping in with an offer to purchase TikTok if the US approves a ban on the Chinese-owned app.
The United States is looking to go forward with a ban on TikTok due to fears that ByteDance could be spying on users and sharing information with the Chinese Government.
A ban would require ByteDance to sell the app or risk a shutdown if new legislation passes in Congress. As such, we’ve already had some potential buyers step up, such as ex-Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.
Now, Rumble has thrown its name into the ring with its CEO Chris Pavlovski issuing an offer publicly on social media addressed to ByteDance’s Shou Zi Chew.
Rumble reveals offer to buy TikTok
In the letter, Rumble explained that in the event ByteDance divests its ownership in TikTok, the streaming site was ready to team up with other parties and join a consortium to acquire and operate the app.
“Specifically, we are ready to serve as a cloud technology partner,” Pavlovski said.
The news comes just one day after the public launch of Rumble Cloud, a service designed to provide affordable pricing to businesses while championing free speech and an open internet.
“This is a historic moment for Rumble and for the free flow of information. Most online information flow is controlled by an oligopoly which can turn the lights off at any moment, like they did to Parler,” Pavlovski proclaimed following the launch of Rumble Cloud.
Rumble has been at the forefront of supporting free speech on the internet long before Elon Musk bought Twitter. The platform has fewer restrictions than other sites, which would certainly make TikTok a far more different app than it is today if the purchase goes through.
So far, it’s not clear what will happen with TikTok or how many other parties could be looking to operate it, especially with its estimated price tag in the billions.