Amazon Submits Bid for TikTok with US Sale Deadline Nearing
92 comments
·April 2, 2025Beijinger
sdoering
> Amazon has become an unreliable company. Opaque return practices, overbilling and break of contract have become common.
It has? I have never had that experience. And I would say, that comes from quite strong customer protection laws in Germany. So I would say your legal system has enabled it to become that way. Because Amazon - in Germany and other markets with strong regulations - clearly is capable of performing very admirably. Even better than quite many competitors.
> Amazon has become an unreliable company. "The US has become an unreliable environment" might fit better.
pwython
I'm in the US and have never had a bad experience with Amazon. I signed up for Prime in like 2010 and even got their prime store credit card to get 5% cash back. No issues with returns, same-day shipping, prime video, etc. I don't know much about Bezos' business practices/morals, but gosh dang Amazon is a good bang for the buck.
Beijinger
The f. up an order from me. I needed the stuff since I moved to a new place. Canceled it without ever telling me. Customer service told me to reorder with the fastest shipment and I will be "reimbursed". I did order again with fast shipment. Obviously I was not reimbursed and they called it a "misunderstanding". I still have the chats. Would be an easy win in small claims court. But for 40 USD? Not worth the time.
anon7000
> We can only hope that authorities won't allow an acquisition by Amazon (EU maybe?).
This would only be for the US arm of TikTok, yeah? So EU will have no oversight
Beijinger
As far as I understand, this is wrong.
"The European Union (EU) cannot directly veto Amazon's acquisition of TikTok's U.S. operations, as the EU's jurisdiction is limited to transactions that impact the European market. However, if TikTok has significant operations or revenue in Europe, the EU could review the deal under its merger control and foreign investment regulations, such as the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). This applies to acquisitions involving companies with an EU turnover exceeding €500 million and substantial foreign financial contributions"
dkjaudyeqooe
This is all pointless since TikTok's parent has said it won't sell and is very likely being menaced by the PRC in this respect.
Ifkaluva
I wonder if the US govt would be willing to go as far as seizing the US operations, which are headquartered in LA.
I take your point that the PRC is threatening ByteDance, but what is to stop them from being menaced over here as well?
siliconc0w
It's crazy to me that TikTok is still operating. A law was passed, the supreme court even weighed in, and a EO cannot undo that. The president has an obligation to faithfully execute the law.
BryantD
The law provided for a a 90-day extension on the deadline at the President's discretion. However, the extension required certain things to be true (significant progress made on the divestiture, legally binding contracts in place, and so on) -- so I'd agree that this wasn't faithful execution of the law.
BryantD
I am also going to acknowledge that the new executive order filed on 4/4 is clearly a violation of the law. Or, I suppose, completely meaningless, depending on how you look it.
eddythompson80
Is that really what’s crazy to you?
The law was crazy. The litigations based on it were crazy. The final manifestation of it all in pop culture is 100% crazy.
mullingitover
> It's crazy to me that TikTok is still operating
Not at all, I don't think our elderly political leadership really had a grasp on how massive Tiktok is with GenZ and younger Americans.
It would be, to the elderly, like the government unilaterally banning AM radio.
There are certainly issues with Tiktok, but it was complete out-of-touch hubris to decide to censor the dominant media platform in the US for people under 40 overnight.
Henchman21
But that is precisely what someone who cares not for the under-40 crowd and DOES care about power would do?
mullingitover
I think you meant "DOES not know how to competently keep a grip on power would do"
(or maybe this is what you mean?)
Democrats were successfully tarred as being behind the Tiktok ban. Even though it was a pretty bipartisan ban, Trump came out loudly as opposing it and said "vote for me, I'll save Tiktok" and then he narrowly scraped by on election day. His razor thin victory is arguably because of that play.
from-nibly
No ticktock is not a protocol or airspace. It's a company. It would be like banning Disney.
9rx
> The president has an obligation to faithfully execute the law.
To whom? It doesn't bother him personally. It thrills his supporters. Those who wish for such an obligation show no willingness to tar and feather him for non-compliance, preventing their wishes from becoming reality. What's left?
davorak
> To whom?
The presidents oath to his office for one, the constitution, the rule of law, the citizens of the United States.
Easy to say whom/what/why. Let's separate that from enforcement mechanisms.
9rx
> The presidents oath to his office for one, the constitution, the rule of law
You cannot be obligated to the inanimate. It would be fair to say that these things are symbols representing people, who you can be obligated to, but that brings us back to trying to figure out who those people are.
> the citizens of the United States.
Like, as in the citizens that voted for him? His entire campaign was ran on the promise of going off to do as he pleases, so there there was no such obligation established there.
Not everyone voted for him, to be sure, but they are primarily the group that wishes there was that obligation. They have not (to this point) established the obligation.
> Let's separate that from enforcement mechanisms.
You can't, really. Without motivation, there is no obligation. While that motivation can come from within or, say, social pressure, the president already has those satisfied. He doesn't care personally and anyone else he might want to impress supports him. That only leaves those who are willing to exert a compelling force, and that doesn't appear to exist.
Let's not confuse want of obligation with obligation. I assert that you are obligated to make me lunch each day! But we both know it's not happening. That is not how obligation works.
cma
Isn't there precedent from federal laws on marijuana not being enforced? Has that gone to the Supreme Court?
pests
I do agree and not trying to even comment on the current administration. Hasn't it always kind of been like that? Isn't marijuana illegal too?
davorak
I would not say marijuana laws are an apples to apples comparison. There are state laws in place legalizing marijuana sales in some states so that ends up being states rights/power vs federal rights and power.
In the tiktok case it is federal law apparently not being followed by the federal government.
Herring
> The president has an obligation to faithfully execute the law.
No no. The president himself is a felon so everything cancels out, see?
dmix
> The president has an obligation to faithfully execute the law.
The president can instruct (or basically ask) DOJ to delay enforcement, similar to how they can instruct federal agencies to prioritize certain types of crime, but it can't override a law. The EO gave a 75 days temporary delay which is ending soon as the article says
davorak
> The president can instruct (or basically ask) DOJ to delay enforcement
That does not change if the law has been broken though or that those breaking can be punished for breaking the law though to my understanding. So in cases where a president asks for something not to be enforced a future DOJ, even under the same president, would be enabled to press charges to my understanding.
dkjaudyeqooe
He does, but Trump knows he can ignore the law without consequences (besides maybe being reversed) so he ignores.
Other presidents have done the same on occasion but no where near the scale that Trump has done.
moralestapia
Any idea on how much they offered?
blitzar
The whole affair is/has been pretty tawdry, American Oligarchs trying to outbid each other for it is just the cherry on top.
afavour
Depressing but inevitable. TikTok is too big for anyone other than a giant to buy it. But it does make me wonder about Bezos’s recent Trump-admin friendly moves, particularly with the Washington Post. An attempt to curry favor for this purchase? Entirely possible.
blitzar
I presume there is a "bidders fee" payable in cash to register a bid.
nimbius
im frankly a little dumbfounded at the state of the tiktok "ban" in the USA.
Bytedance has been absolutely adamant that it cannot, and will not sell. This has not stopped droves of American politicians from stepping forward and insisting they can facilitate the sale, find buyers, begin negotiations, draft contracts, review and finalize deals, you name it...
Nothing has changed. Bytedance will. not. sell. if history is any indication, Trump will kick the can down the road a little further with another 90 day delay. This is after all, arguably, the platform that helped him win a presidency. banning it is pointless, as in the first day of the ban nearly every US user flocked to other chinese social media platforms.
maxglute
PRC / Byte dance won't sell TikTok global. PRC won't export TikTok algos. There's probably some JV / oracle / project texas arrangment PRC alright with. But yeah, 100% US ownership not happening, especially as "concession" in exchange for tarrifs / export control list relief etc, which basically would reward US leverage / behaviour.
Ifkaluva
I’m confused why you think a voluntary sale is the only possible way it can be “sold”. What if they seize the US operations, which are headquartered in LA, and sell those seized assets?
ryoshoe
They could do that, but Tiktok's most valuable asset is their recommendation algorithm
aardvarkr
The Chinese government could potentially let the sale happen if it’s part of a larger tariff deal
TMWNN
> Bytedance has been absolutely adamant that it cannot, and will not sell.
You haven't been paying attention. Beijing has signaled for a while that it is open to a deal, in the context of other US-Chinese issues.
calimoro78
source?
theyinwhy
Never thought I will see this country cheering expropriation in my lifetime.
dmix
Copying the Chinese government policies seems to be popular right now. Huge public investments in private industry (CHIPS) and restricting foreign ownership in companies. If you can't beat them, copy them, or something.
palmotea
> Copying the Chinese government policies seems to be popular right now. Huge public investments in private industry (CHIPS) and restricting foreign ownership in companies. If you can't beat them, copy them, or something.
Not all of them, but some of them. It's not like the Chinese are dumb and can't do anything right. Also, the previously fashionable neoliberal policies were stupid and exploitable.
ygjb
Not to get too political, but the US is built on expropriation. From Indigenous peoples, the British, Mexicans, and a variety of other folks. It's baked into laws and policies like eminent domain and civil asset forfeiture. The biggest issue is who is being targetted and why. Heck, even taxation is a form of expropriation. This is also not unique to the US - the political aspect is how and why expropriation happens.
9rx
Built on, but not normally cheered on. The general sentiment in modern times has been that we don't like seeing those things happen.
lefstathiou
Meh, you aren’t seeing it. You are likely noticing a fringe view of a minority of people being greatly magnified through coordinated and uncoordinated social media campaigns and broad sweeping statements intended to covey that a totality of people (ie “a country”) hold a given view.
Now, if we framed it not as an “expropriation of a company” but a “100% tax on billionaires profiting from the work of the creative class” then the numbers would get real very quick.
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jeffwask
Makes sense, Bezos is the only oligarch without a pet social media app.
samlinnfer
He has twich.tv
pests
#28 by DAU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_platforms_with_...
Barely even makes the list. TikTok at #4 would be much more influential.
dylan604
Could you imagine if Bezos makes the same algo changes Musk did to Twitt...er,X so that you always see a Bezo video?
explain
But a huge amount of propagation of Twitch content onto YouTube, TikTok and X. Influentially outsized.
candiddevmike
Twitch is bleeding users to YouTube--watch time is consistently decreasing YoY. IMO, they're stuck between YouTube and Discord and can't figure out a compelling offering over the two.
dmix
Why is that? Is it because the streaming creators are so chaotic? Or convergence on a centralized platform people already use (youtube)?
swyx
source of stats please?
jeffwask
Different kind of animal. A lot less reach into the older generations and a lot less control of the content.
RobRivera
Eh, I feel like twitch.tv is different enough.
I agree with your observation, tho. I feel like twitch is more about e-celeb fan access.
I dont think Destiny 'feed nathan' Dusty fans are doing a lot of peer to peer socialization. (Then again, maybe Im wrong).
jajuuka
That's a good point. It would be like calling a music concert a social club. Some socializing occurs, but you're all there to watch someone entertain you.
bsenftner
It is to acquire and destroy Tiktok Shop, a serious pain in his ass.
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walterbell
TikTok hired former TLA officers (2022), https://www.scrippsnews.com/science-and-tech/social-media/ti...
The U.S. intelligence community sees China as its top threat. But Americans who have left intelligence agencies are getting jobs at TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.. the lines between business and government get blurred in China, in part because of Beijing's national intelligence law, which compels citizens and businesses to share information with state intelligence-gathering efforts.. America's freedoms give China an advantage.blitzar
TIL China has their own version of the Patriot Act.
null
Amazon has become an unreliable company. Opaque return practices, overbilling and break of contract have become common.
"TikTok Shop is an integrated e-commerce platform within the TikTok app that allows users to shop directly from videos, live streams, and profiles."
Amazon just tries to destroy a competitor. We can only hope that authorities won't allow an acquisition by Amazon (EU maybe?).
I personally still use Amazon, but often use ebay. I don't use TikTok. I found the acquisition of Abebooks by Amazon long time ago already unfortunate.