A major TikTok US deal has been finalized, allowing the app to continue operating in the United States without facing a ban. Under the agreement, a new joint venture—majority-owned by American investors—will run TikTok’s U.S. operations. This structure addresses long-standing national security concerns tied to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Notably, several key investors have strong ties to former President Donald Trump. Among them is Larry Ellison, Trump’s longtime friend and Republican mega-donor. Ellison’s company, Oracle, will take a 15% stake in the venture. More importantly, Oracle will oversee the “retraining” of TikTok’s core algorithm—the very engine behind its viral success.
ByteDance will retain a 19.9% minority stake but will have no operational control over the U.S. platform. This arrangement aims to sever direct influence from China while preserving the app’s functionality for American users.
Trump, who once pushed aggressively to ban TikTok during his first term, now says he is “so happy to have helped in saving [the app].” When asked last year about his change of heart, he replied candidly: “Because I got to use it.”
Still, the TikTok US deal raises important questions. Some users worry the American version may lose the feel of the global app. Others question how data will be handled, whether content moderation will shift, and if the retrained algorithm will perform as well.
The deal made practical sense for Washington. With roughly 200 million active users in the U.S., an outright ban would have sparked public backlash and legal battles. Yet critics argue the agreement falls short of full compliance with U.S. data and security regulations.
While the immediate threat of a ban has lifted, the long-term future of TikTok in America remains uncertain. Oversight, transparency, and user trust will determine whether this compromise truly resolves the underlying tensions—or merely delays them.
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