Discussions between Twitter and TikTok on a possible merger

Twitter has, according to the Wall Street Journal, started preliminary discussions for a possible merger with Tiktok, an application that Donald Trump accuses of spying for the benefit of China and threatens to ban the United States.

Read also: TikTok: Trump wreaks havoc on tech

Asked by AFP, Twitter and Tiktok refused to confirm the information published Saturday evening by the financial daily, which mentions sources familiar with the matter.

The US president on Thursday signed a decree banning, within 45 days, any transaction " of persons under US jurisdiction " with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, citing a " national emergency " about the application of light videos .

Earlier this week, Donald Trump said he was open to the takeover of TikTok by an American group before September 15, but warned that the service would be banned on American soil if no transaction took place by then. The tenant of the White House also demanded that in case of redemption, a significant part of the sum return to the US Treasury.

Microsoft, volunteer to buy the application

Microsoft expressed interest in acquiring TikTok's US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand operations last Sunday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Twitter believes it is less likely than Microsoft to be pinned for abuse of dominance in this matter because of its significantly smaller size. The platform would likely need the support of other investors to complete a buyout.

Furthermore, and unlike Microsoft, Twitter is not available in China, where the government has blocked its access since 2009.