Microsoft-TikTok Deal Would See Deadline Pressure, Privacy Risks

Microsoft Corp. may not be able to resolve privacy and security concerns tied to a possible TikTok acquisition in time to meet President Donald Trump’s Sept. 15 deadline for reaching a deal.

The tight time frame gives Microsoft and Bytedance little time to conduct needed privacy, cybersecurity, and national security reviews to assuage regulators, Congress, the White House, and potential litigators. The work done in the next month will help executives and investors weigh whether the deal is worth it.

Meeting the deadline would be a hard lift “even in the best of times,” said Theresa Payton, a cybersecurity consultant ...