Oracle’s Negotiations with the White House
Reports indicate that Oracle Corp. is improving its negotiations with the White House regarding the management of the American business Tiktok, although significant issues remain concerning the involvement of China in the social media application.
According to Politico, which reported on Sunday (March 16), three individuals familiar with the discussions revealed that Vice President JD Vance and national security adviser Mike Waltz are leading the talks on behalf of President Donald Trump. The deadline to resolve Tiktok’s status in the USA is set for April 5.
Expectations for Tiktok Transactions
Vance is hopeful for a successful Tiktok transaction by the April 5 deadline, as NBC News reported separately on Saturday (March 15).
In an interview on board Air Force, Vance stated, “We are aiming to finalize this by early April.” NBC News mentioned that Vance did not disclose specific details regarding the negotiations or potential buyers.
As per Politico, discussions between Oracle and the White House revolve around a concept referred to as “Project Texas 2.0,” which is an expansion of the previous Tiktok proposal to store American user data on Oracle servers.
Key lawmakers, including interested Republicans, are closely monitoring the situation. One source noted that the Oracle transaction would hold the company responsible for safeguarding American user data and preventing access by the Chinese government.
“If the Oracle transaction proceeds, you still have this (algorithm) controlled by the Chinese,” the source indicated, according to Politico.
Context of Current Negotiations
These current negotiations follow a January order from Trump that delayed enforcing a Tiktok ban for 75 days. The application had been in limbo for less than 24 hours in January after Butterfly missed an earlier deadline to divest its stake when the Supreme Court upheld the law regarding sales or bans.
Trump, who sought to ban Tiktok during his first term, has softened his stance on the platform since returning to office. In a press conference in Florida, he expressed that he has a “warm place in my heart for Tiktok.”
In January, Trump stated that he was open to an acquisition of Tiktok by Larry Ellison, the founder and executive chairman of Oracle. Ellison, a longtime supporter of Trump, is also involved in the $500 billion “Project Stargate” AI infrastructure initiative. Trump mentioned that his administration was in negotiations with Oracle regarding Tiktok’s operational strategy in the U.S.
While Beijing has previously signaled its disapproval of any forced sale, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated in January that they favor resolutions regarding sales or mergers to be based on market principles.
“For business operations and acquisitions, we believe they should be resolved based on market principles,” stated Mao Ning, press secretary of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to reporters in January.
In February, Elon Musk announced that he had no intentions of buying Tiktok, stating, “I did not bet on Tiktok,” during a conference. “I have no plans for what I would do if I had a Tiktok.”
Oracle in advanced talks with White House to operate TikTok US (Report)
