Soulja Boy Offers to Buy TikTok Following Possible Ban of App

Earlier this week, US president Joe Biden signed a bill banning TikTok if its parent company ByteDance does not sell it within the next nine months.

Inevitably, the news rocked social media with many left unimpressed by the decision – especially given that Biden's ban has come before calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Rapper Soulja Boy also vented his frustrations online and even offered to buy the popular platform.

Taking to X/Twitter, Soulja Boy said: "I can’t believe y’all just gon’ let them ban TikTok like that, and y’all think it’s funny. If they do it to this app, they can do it to any app or site. Not cool, [for real]. Y’all will see later."

I can’t believe yall just gon let them ban TikTok like that. And yall think it’s funny. If they do it to this app they can do it to any app or site. Not cool fr yall will see later.

— Soulja Boy (Draco) (@souljaboy) April 24, 2024

DeAndre Cortez Way widely known as Soulja Boy has expressed interest in acquiring popular social media App, TikTok.

The rapper becomes the first person to indicate his interest publicly in acquiring TikTok after U.S President, Joe Biden signed a foreign aid package into law that would see the Chinese-owned social media platform banned in the U.S. if it’s not sold within nine months.

The 33-year-old’s post came a day after Congress passed a bill on Tuesday (April 23) that could result in TikTok being banned in the United States, a move that was signed off on by United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

According to legislation under the new bill, ByteDance, the current owner of TikTok, would have to sell its controlling stake in the company in order for TikTok to remain legally authorized for usage domestically. Government officials and other parties have cited a national security risk due to TikTok’s ownership’s ties to China, a rising concern in recent years.

However, TikTok has voiced its intent to fight back against the potential forced sale, as it violates its users’ constitutional right to freedom of speech, under the First Ammendment. “Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere,” TikTok chief executive Shou Chew said in a post on the platform. “We are confident, and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts.”

Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s vice president of public policy, previously echoed those sentiments during a sitdown with a content creator on the platform. “Thankfully, we have a Constitution in this country, and people’s First Amendment rights are very important,” he said. “We’ll continue to fight for you and all the other users on TikTok.”

Aside from Soulja Boy, some of the prospective candidates to buy TikTok include the likes of Kevin O’Leary, Steve Mnuchin, Bobby Kotick, and others.

See Soulja Boy’s X post below.

How much yall want for TikTok? I’ll buy it. @tiktok_us

— Soulja Boy (Draco) (@souljaboy) April 24, 2024

Donald J. Trump tried to force a sale or ban of the app in 2020, but federal judges blocked the effort because it would have had the effect of shutting down a “platform for expressive activity.”

 

April 26, 2024