Trump claims a TikTok deal is done. Who would own it, and how would it work?

Trump claims a TikTok deal is done. Who would own it, and how would it work?

18 minutes ago Share Save Liv McMahon Technology reporter and Graham Fraser Technology reporter Share Save

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President Donald Trump says a deal to find a new owner for social media app TikTok in the United States is done. US politicians passed a law in 2024 banning the app in the country unless it was sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance. Trump vowed to save TikTok, and had previously suggested a number of potential buyers before the latest announcement, which has yet to be confirmed by ByteDance or the Chinese authorities.

Why did the US want to ban TikTok?

For years US officials and lawmakers have argued that ByteDance's links to the Chinese government threaten national security. Many feared Beijing could force ByteDance to hand over data about its US users - thought to number 170 million. TikTok and ByteDance reject that criticism, but similar concerns have prompted bans and restrictions in other countries around the world. Is TikTok really a danger to the West? In April 2024, US Congress passed a bill - signed into law by former President Joe Biden - giving ByteDance nine months to find a US-approved buyer or see TikTok shut down. TikTok called the law "unconstitutional" and claimed that censoring its US users would have a "staggering" impact on free speech. It launched several unsuccessful legal challenges. ByteDance insisted it had no plans to sell. After Trump took office in January 2025, he extended that initial deadline to allow the search for the app's new owners to continue. The president has pushed the deadline back several more times to allow a deal to be done.

What is the TikTok deal - and how will it work?

Trump's TikTok deal will see US investors take over the app's operations in the country. They will control the algorithm which powers the US version of TikTok, and Americans will hold six of the seven seats on the board of directors which will oversee it. The algorithm is the technology which determines what users see in their feed, and is seen as the most valuable - and controversial - part of the app. Under the deal, the American TikTok will use a new algorithm which will be based on the existing version, but retrained on US user data, according to White House officials. This will be overseen by the US tech giant Oracle. The firm's co-founder Larry Ellison is a close ally of US President Donald Trump. Oracle already stores TikTok's American user data on its US-based servers as part of an existing agreement, and this will continue. White House officials say this arrangement meets the requirements for the sale of TikTok that were set out in the 2024 law and, therefore, ensures the social media app can continue operating in the US.

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The White House has also identified private equity firm Silver Lake as another investor. It has a stake in the City Football Group, which owns Manchester City football club. It is understood that officials have said the new joint venture controlling the app is seeking "patriotic" investors. A huge range of public figures ranging from OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely to star YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson - AKA MrBeast - were previously touted as potential partners.

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