Rumors Suggest Disney May Have Purchased TikTok Amid Ban Pressure

Over the past several years, there has been a wave of political turmoil over the ethics and privacy of TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance. In 2024, Congress passed a measure to ban the entertainment site from operating in the United States over concerns of national security threats and data leakage.

Though ByteDance has tried to appeal the ruling, a federal court chose to uphold the law in early December 2024, deeming that TikTok will be banned throughout the country in January 2025 unless sold off by its parent company to a U.S.-based buyer.

Following this ruling, rumors have begun to swirl regarding potential buyers — and one name has continued to stick out above the rest. Is it true that Disney has purchased TikTok?

The rumor that Disney had purchased TikTok to the tune of $100 billion was started by satirical Disney news site Mouse Trap News after they published an article stating that the deal would be Disney's most expensive acquisition ever.

It also stated that Disney would be transforming TikTok into a subscription-based platform with a business model similar to Disney Plus: "An internal source told us that Disney has big plans for the app. They will roll out a paid subscription service ... where people can pay to watch ad-free content."

However, the article, as well as the greater news of Disney buying TikTok, is totally fabricated. No such deal has taken place, and Disney has made no indication that they are interested in purchasing TikTok at all.

Mouse Trap News's article continues on in a satirical fashion, referencing a lawsuit that the company faced earlier this year: "It’s worth noting that when Disney takes over TikTok, if you die in one of their theme parks and use the app, Disney will not be liable. This is because of their terms and conditions."

If you still weren't sure about the article's veracity, its conclusion invites readers to subscribe for more "totally made-up" stories like this one.

Of course, this hasn't stopped the rumor from spreading.

In the comments of Mouse Trap News's TikTok video, which shared their satirical story, folks are sharing their feelings about the faux acquisition.

"Disney just bought TikTok for $100 billion? That's insane! Now we can expect some epic Disney content on here," one user wrote.

Another said, "Great! Now it's going to be charging $175 a day!"

If you see the news traveling around social media, don't be fooled. Disney did not purchase TikTok.

As far as companies or rich people who may actually do so, there are a few who have expressed interest. Among them are former CEO of Activision Blizzard Bobby Kotick, who stepped down after a plethora of scandals and lawsuits rocked the company, as well as Microsoft.

Folks are even calling on Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO who previously purchased and transformed Twitter into X, to make TikTok his next project.

"Buy TikTok, Elon," one fan urged. "It’s a great CapCut into X. No other social media would survive; you would be the leading social media platform with no competition."