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A December 7 news article claimed Disney purchased the social media platform TikTok for $100 billion. Mouse Trap News reported the news on their official website and Instagram page on Saturday. Their article read:
"This comes only a day after the court ruled that TikTok needed to be bought by a company in the US or banned permanently."
The website assured readers the short video platform is no longer facing a ban due to Disney's acquisition of its ownership. The article claimed this was Disney's largest acquisition to date, surpassing its 2019 purchase of 21st Century Fox, which was $71.3 billion.
Mouse Trap News claimed the entertainment company's move was to:
"Increase their ever-expanding portfolio of companies and promote their propaganda."
The outlet further reported on Disney's supposed plans for the app:
"They will roll out a paid subscription service like Disney+ where people can pay to watch ad-free content."
Elsewhere in the article, Mouse Trap News claimed if an individual dies in any of the Disney theme parks while using the short video platform, the Walt Disney Company would not shoulder any liabilities.
However, this is a false report. Right when the article on Mouse Trap News ends, the outlet asked readers to follow them on their social media pages to stay updated on "more very real Disney news like this totally made-up story".
On their 'About' page, Mouse Trap News mentioned:
"Mouse Trap News is the world’s best satire and parody site."
Thus, it can be concluded that Disney did not obtain ownership of TikTok for $100 billion.
Disney did not buy TikTok to prevent its ban in the U.S.
Mouse Trap News included Disney CEO Bob Iger in their Instagram post to make the news about the company buying TikTok look more credible. However, it is to be noted that Bob Iger did not make any such announcements this past week. Nor did Disney share any official announcements remotely related to TikTok.
Moreover, Mouse Trap News clarified on their 'About' page:
"We write fake stories about Disney Parks stuff. From Disney Park announcements to Disney Hotel and resort news to made-up Disney partnerships, you can be assured that anything you read here is not true, real, or accurate, but it is fun."
Elsewhere, the outlet states:
"Some Disney sites write deceptive stories for clicks. We write 100% made-up parody and satire stories for your enjoyment."
In April 2024, US President Joe Biden signed a bill that required ByteDance, the short video platform's parent company to hand over its ownership to a non-Chinese buyer. The deadline for the transfer is January 19, 2025, a day before Republican President-elect Donald Trump is slated to take office.
Failing to transfer the platform's ownership to a desired company would result in its ban across the US. The app appealed to overturn the law in May, citing infringement of the free speech of 170 million US users. However, according to a December 6 report by CNN, a federal appeals court upheld the law in a Friday ruling.
It brings TikTok to the brink of a ban unless ByteDance manages to secure a deal with a non-Chinese owner before January 19 next year. Once the deadline is crossed, US internet services or app stores will be fined for hosting the app if it doesn't acquire new ownership.
