{"id":15028,"date":"2026-01-23T14:26:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=15028"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:26:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:26:29","slug":"who-owns-tiktok-now-and-how-could-it-change-for-us-users","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=15028","title":{"rendered":"Who owns TikTok now and how could it change for US users?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Liv McMahon<\/span>Technology reporter<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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TikTok has announced a deal<\/a> allowing it to continue operating in the US.<\/p>\n

But with the platform’s future in the country seemingly secured, its 200 million American users are expected to see some changes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What is the US TikTok deal?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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A majority-American board now owns and operates a separate entity controlling TikTok in the US.<\/p>\n

Backed by mostly US investors, the newly established TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC<\/a> is governed by a board of seven directors.<\/p>\n

TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew is among them, and its Chinese owner ByteDance will retain a 19.9% stake in the business.<\/p>\n

The content recommendation algorithm at the heart of TikTok – determining which videos show up on the app’s For You feed – has been licensed to tech firm Oracle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Headed by Trump ally Larry Ellison, Oracle already oversees TikTok US user data under a previous arrangement set up over security concerns called Project Texas.<\/p>\n

But the company will now secure more of the app, including by retraining and updating its recommendation algorithm based on US user data.<\/p>\n

TikTok says both the algorithm and US user data will be protected in “Oracle’s secure US cloud environment”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Will I have to download a new app?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Something TikTok and those behind its new US joint venture will be keen to avoid is too much disruption to the app itself.<\/p>\n

The US is believed to be the platform’s largest global market, with 200 million users, according to TikTok.<\/p>\n

But it faces growing competition from Instagram and its short form video feature Reels – which parent firm Meta has boosted within its apps used by billions.<\/p>\n

And experts and analysts have warned changing TikTok too much or requiring users to move to a new app could put users and advertisers off<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Behind the scenes, TikTok is likely working hard to assure advertisers it will remain business as normal,” Jasmine Enberg, co-CEO of Scalable, a media company and podcast focused on the creator economy, told news agency AFP.<\/p>\n

“While the need for users to download a new app seems unlikely, brand partners will want to know that their TikTok strategies won’t be disrupted.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

How will TikTok change?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Exactly what changes US users will see to their TikTok app and feeds, as a result of the deal, remains unclear.<\/p>\n

The BBC has asked TikTok what will change in its American experience, and when.<\/p>\n

Dr Kokil Jaidka of the National University of Singapore previously told the BBC the app is “unlikely to suddenly feel different” for most, but “changes are plausible”.<\/p>\n

She said operating a US version of the app under a licensed algorithm could see “constraints around data access, update frequency, and integration with TikTok’s global systems”.<\/p>\n

User-facing features controlled locally, such as its short videos, influencer culture and livestream shopping, may not change, Jaidka said.<\/p>\n

However, she said many unknowns remain, with much depending “on how ByteDance tweaks the weaker links – such as data separation, update frequency, and oversight mechanisms – without degrading performance”.<\/p>\n

TikTok says the joint venture will be able to make the app compatible with other apps and regions to give US users “a global experience”.<\/p>\n

Its press release<\/a> claims US creators will still be discoverable and businesses will be able to maintain global reach. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What about CapCut and Lemon8?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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CapCut and Lemon8 are two other popular apps owned by ByteDance accessed by US users.<\/p>\n

Previously, it was slightly unclear what the law requiring TikTok’s sale or ban in the US could mean for its sister apps and their users.<\/p>\n

But both “went dark” in the US alongside TikTok when the ban briefly took effect in January 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Their future in the US now appears to be secured, with TikTok saying “safeguards provided by the Joint Venture will also cover CapCut, Lemon8, and a portfolio of other apps and websites in the US”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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