Axel Springer, the German media group that owns Politico and The Telegraph, has proposed acquiring a stake in TikTok’s European operations.
The information was reported by the Financial Times, which cited sources familiar with the matter.
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The initiative was led by Axel Springer CEO Matthias Döpfner. His aim is to reshape ownership of the video platform in Europe, in a way similar to the changes implemented in the United States.
The Financial Times reported that Döpfner raised the idea in January during a meeting in Berlin with Charles Kushner, the U.S. ambassador to France and the father of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The conversation took place at Axel Springer’s headquarters and focused on antisemitism on social media.
During the meeting, the head of the German media group also discussed the possibility of the company becoming part of the ownership of TikTok’s European operations.
The idea was later presented to officials at the European Commission, but, according to the report, it did not receive sufficient support to move to the next stage.
ByteDance, the Chinese company that controls TikTok, has rejected this account, saying there have been no official negotiations to sell a stake in the platform’s European operations.
Nevertheless, Axel Springer has acknowledged that it is interested in a European ownership solution for TikTok, according to the Financial Times.
The German initiative comes after the restructuring of TikTok’s business in the United States. A new ownership model was established there, with the aim of addressing national security concerns related to Chinese influence over and control of the platform.
The deal in the United States, which has been reported to be worth $14 billion, involved a consortium led by Oracle.
Döpfner has previously said that control of TikTok should be entrusted to shareholders from democratic countries, after warning of the possibility that the platform could be used for propaganda.
A potential investment by Axel Springer in the European operations would be intended to change the platform’s ownership, not to impose restrictions on users.
Axel Springer ranks among Europe’s largest media groups. Its portfolio includes Politico, The Telegraph, Bild and Die Welt.
Through acquisitions and investments in the media industry, the group has strengthened its presence outside Germany. A stake in TikTok would mark a further expansion into the digital platforms sector.
So far, however, the proposal has not led to the opening of an official acquisition process, while ByteDance continues to deny that negotiations on the matter have taken place.
