TikTok's budding rival Triller explores deal to go public: Report

The deal would come as Triller seeks to capitalise on TikTok's woes

Triller Inc, a budding competitor to popular short-video app TikTok, is in discussions with blank-check acquisition companies about a merger which would take the US social media company public, according to people familiar with the matter.

The deal would come as Triller seeks to capitalize on TikTok's woes. US President Donald Trump's administration has ordered TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance to divest the app, citing concerns that the data of US citizens could be accessible to China's Communist Party government. TikTok has sued the US government to stave off a ban from US app stores while deal negotiations continue.

Triller, which was launched