TikTok bill live: US House passes bill that could lead to nationwide TikTok ban

In the world of business, the likelihood that a sale of TikTok will happen still looks a long way from reality.

The bill faces uncertain prospects in the Senate and with both China and owner ByteDance opposed to a deal, a legal fight is almost certain.

But analysts say there are plenty of potentially interested buyers in the US - especially from the tech and shopping worlds - if it comes to that point, given TikTok's rapid growth.

What deal might ultimately pass muster is another question, given anti-monopoly concerns weighing on the tech sector and the likely high price.

“All the big social media companies would be interested but I think they would face a lot of anti-trust hurdles," Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg tells me. "There are other firms in the social media space that are smaller - like Snapchat - that would be interested but wouldn’t be able to afford it."

When the Trump administration ordered a sale in 2020, some of the biggest firms in the country emerged to explore bids, which then reportedly valued the firm at about $50bn.

Microsoft ultimately lost out to a team that included Walmart and software giant Oracle, led by Larry Ellison and Safra Catz, who was cosy with the Trump administration. But the deal fell apart amid legal challenges and the change-over to a new administration.

Today, TikTok’s reach and advertising revenue have increased significantly. Research firm Emarketer estimates TikTok will bring in about $8.66bn in advertising revenue from the US this year, compared to less than $1bn in 2020.