Axel Springer Says It Would Welcome a European TikTok Deal

Axel Springer says it would welcome a European plan to separate TikTok from ByteDance, while ByteDance rejects a report that the publisher pitched itself for a role.

jajoy39

Oct 23, 2026 - 13:36

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Axel Springer Says It Would Welcome a European TikTok Deal

Axel Springer company building (file photo). Image source: Axel Springer SE, source company page; photographer credit not stated in downloaded metadata. https://www.axelspringer.com/en/inside/axel-springer-looks-good

Axel Springer Signals Interest in a European TikTok Ownership Solution

German publishing group Axel Springer said it would welcome a European initiative to separate TikTok from its Chinese parent ByteDance, following the model of the US arrangement that transferred control of TikTok’s American operations to an American-owned joint venture.

What the publisher said

An Axel Springer spokesperson told Reuters that chief executive and co-owner Mathias Doepfner has long advocated a European solution along the lines of the American model. The spokesperson said that, had such a solution materialized, Axel Springer would have welcomed the opportunity to participate as a major European media player.

The comment followed a Financial Times report that Doepfner pitched an idea during a January lunch with US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner. The report said the publisher could be part of a deal to buy TikTok’s European operations.

ByteDance disputes the report

ByteDance rejected the account. When asked about a potential deal, a spokesperson described it as “a total fabrication” and said it was not worth dignifying with a comment. No European transaction was announced in the Reuters report.

Ownership and regulation

ByteDance finalized a deal in January to transfer control of TikTok’s US operations to an American-owned joint venture. The arrangement was intended to avert a US ban and address security concerns tied to Chinese ownership. TikTok has more than 200 million American users, according to the Reuters report.

Doepfner has publicly criticized TikTok, calling it a dangerous propaganda machine and arguing that Europe should follow the US example. Those statements explain Axel Springer’s stated interest, but they do not establish that negotiations for a European sale are under way. Any future proposal would face questions about ownership, data governance, competition and the protection of users from harmful content.

Axel Springer company building (file photo). Image source: Axel Springer SE, source company page; photographer credit not stated in downloaded metadata. Image source.