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| - A rumor that the Walt Disney Company announced it was buying the social media platform TikTok for $1 billion is circulated online in December 2024. A post from the account MouseTrapNews covering the supposed announcement had over one million views, with several users leaving comments implying they believed the story was real.
The rumor spread because of a court decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that upheld a law passed in April 2024. That law would require TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform to a U.S.-based company by Jan. 19, 2025. If ByteDance did not comply, TikTok would be effectively banned in the United States. According to a news release from TikTok, the company filed an emergency motion for an injunction to stop the ban, hoping that the Supreme Court would hear the case.
However, the rumor about Disney purchasing the platform was not true. Mouse Trap News is a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature. The site's about page states:
What is Mouse Trap News?
Mouse Trap News is the world's best satire and parody site, and authors of The Ultimate Guide to an Affordable Disney Trip, a best-seller. We write fake stories about Disney Parks stuff. From Disney Park announcements to Disney Hotel and resort news to made-up Disney partnerships, you can be assured that anything you read here is not true, real, or accurate, but it is fun. So technically our slogan The Moused Trusted Name in Disney News isn't true, but we thought it was creative and funny, so we are running with it.
Snopes has addressed other satirical claims from Mouse Trap News in the past, including the assertion that tech mogul Elon Musk would purchase Disney World, and a rumor that the park would be introducing a ride themed around Taylor Swift's massive Eras Tour.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.
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