TikTok to open London headquarters after Donald Trump row

TikTok owner ByteDance will move its headquarters to London from Beijing, according to reports.

ByteDance’s founders are to announce their intention to set up shop in London soon, in a deal approved by UK ministers.

The move is likely to put the UK on a collision course with US President Donald Trump who has considered banning TikTok in the United States.

Yesterday Microsoft said it would continue discussions to acquire popular short-video app TikTok from Chinese internet giant ByteDance, and that it was aiming to conclude the negotiations by September.

The popular Chinese-owned video app has been a source of national security and censorship concerns.

The potential deal would be a victory for both companies, making Microsoft a major player in the social media arena and providing relief to TikTok and its parent company Bytedance, a target of President Donald Trump.

President Trump said on Friday that he would take action as soon as Saturday to ban TikTok in the United States.

His comments aboard Air Force One came after published reports that the administration is planning to order China’s ByteDance to sell TikTok.

“As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” President Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned from Florida.

The President said he could use emergency economic powers or an executive order to enforce the action, insisting, “I have that authority.”

He added: “It’s going to be signed tomorrow.”

Reports by Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal citing anonymous sources said the administration could soon announce a decision ordering ByteDance to divest its ownership in TikTok.