April 16, 2025

By Joe Sneve, The Dakota Scout

Could TikTok be moving to South Dakota?

A Wyoming billionaire’s bid to buy TikTok has the backing of South Dakota’s political and business leaders as a potential relocation of the social media company’s headquarters to the Mount Rushmore State gains traction.

“We believe in safeguarding digital freedom. South Dakota was a key catalyst in the movement to protect Americans from being spied on by the Chinese Communist Party, so we are a fitting landing spot for a new and improved TikTok,” Gov. Larry Rhoden said in a statement released Wednesday by Rasner Media, a media company led by Wyoming entrepreneur Reid Rasner, a businessman from Casper.

Earlier this year, Rasner made headlines by submitting a $47.45 billion bid to acquire a controlling stake in TikTok’s U.S. assets, operations and proprietary algorithm from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, after Congress passed a law in 2024 requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban. Although President Donald Trump extended the deadline, a final deal to keep TikTok operational in the U.S. remains pending.​

Rhoden told reporters during a stop in the Black Hills shortly after the statement was released that he’d met with Rasner Media representatives this week to discuss the potential to locate TikTok in South Dakota if the company’s purchase attempt is successful.

“We are building a strong coalition to accomplish this vision alongside Rasner Media and key stakeholders, and we encourage President Trump to support this critical step forward for the country,” said the governor, who was joined by South Dakota Retailers executive director Nathan Sanderson and South Dakota State Chamber of Commerce & Industry president David Owen in voicing support for the deal.

Rhoden noted the irony in the state’s courting of the social media company, which has faced heavy scrutiny from state leaders over concerns about the Chinese-owned social media application being used to spy on Americans and undermine national security.

In late 2022, then-Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order prohibiting state government agencies, employees and contractors from downloading or using TikTok on state-owned or state-leased devices capable of connecting to the internet. The directive was among the earliest state-level actions against TikTok, setting a precedent that subsequently was followed by numerous other states implementing similar bans on the app for government devices.

Rasner Media noted its appreciation for South Dakota’s interest in becoming home to a new TikTok.

“South Dakota has stepped up as a strategic partner, and the future is looking brighter than ever. This is a strong America First coalition that is eager for President Trump to greenlight us in this bold effort to protect American data, defeat Chinese Communist Party espionage attempts and protect TikTok for Americans,” Reid Rasner said.

No final decision has been made on operational locations for a potential TikTok headquarters in the U.S.

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