With TikTok, ‘uncool’ Microsoft aims for love of tweens, perception change

Maybe money can buy love. Or, at least, Microsoft would like to find out.

On Sunday, the tech giant announced in a blog post that it would continue holding talks to buy TikTok in the United States, opening up the possibility of using its financial might to buy the fickle infatuation of tweens.

Microsoft made the announcement after its chief executive, Satya Nadella, talked with President Trump, who had threatened to ban the hugely popular social media company, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, because of national security fears. On Monday, Mr. Trump said that TikTok would shut down in the United States on Sept. 15 unless Microsoft or another company bought it.