TikTok algorithm to be retrained on US user data under Trump deal
37 minutes ago Share Save Liv McMahon and Graham Fraser Technology reporters Share Save
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TikTok's algorithm - the technology that determines what users see in their feed - will be copied and retrained using US user data as part of a deal to secure the app's future in the country. A White House official said on Monday that TikTok's recommendation system will be audited by tech giant Oracle, and operated by a new joint venture involving US investors in order to meet requirements for the app's sale. It comes after President Donald Trump said a deal to prevent the app's ban in the US, unless sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, had been reached with China's approval. The BBC has approached ByteDance and TikTok for comment.
White House officials claim the deal will be a win for the app's US users and citizens. President Trump is expected to sign an executive order later this week on the proposed deal, which will set out how it will comply with US national security demands. The order will also outline a 120-day pause to the enforcement deadline to allow the deal to close. It is unclear whether the Chinese government has approved this agreement, or begun to take regulatory steps required to deliver it. However, the White House appears confident it has secured China's approval. Data belonging to the 170m users TikTok says it has in the US is already held on Oracle servers, under an existing arrangement called Project Texas. It saw US user data siphoned off due to concerns it could fall into the hands of the Chinese government. A senior White House official said that under President Trump's deal, the company would take on a comprehensive role in securing the entirety of the app for American users. They said this would include auditing and inspecting the source code and recommendation system underpinning the app, and rebuilding it for US users using only US user data.
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