Digital advertising platform AppLoving has reportedly joined the bidding war to acquire TikTok’s operations outside of China.

The company announced a preliminary bid on Thursday, adding to a list of potential acquirers, including Amazon, Blackstone, and a consortium led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokley, Reuters reported.

The news agency said that it had viewed AppLoving's regulatory documents, which confirm its interest in acquiring TikTok's non-China operations, with the company stressing that there is no guarantee that the transaction will be completed.

"The addition of TikTok could accelerate AppLovin's transition into a global advertising powerhouse, but regulatory and geopolitical complexities remain a critical variable for investors," Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital told Reuters.

He went on to say that the acquisition could help the firm to pursue its global expansion.

The bid comes as TikTok looks to find a non-Chinese buyer to comply with a deadline set on 5 April by US president Donald Trump to sell or close down the app. The move is part of the current administration's efforts to address national security concerns related to the platform’s Chinese ownership.

If TikTok fails to secure a deal by this date, it could face a ban in the US.

TikTok has repeatedly denied being influenced by the Chinese government and claims the law banning its operation in the US violates users’ first amendment right to free speech as the platform is one of the most popular in the country for political discourse, commerce, and creative expression.

TikTok is already banned from government devices in many countries and has faced an outright ban in India.

In March, The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) launched three investigations exploring how TikTok, Reddit and Imgur protect the privacy of their child users in the UK.

The regulator said at the time that it has concerns about social media and video sharing platforms using data generated by children's online activity in their recommender systems, which could lead to young people being served inappropriate or harmful content.

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