TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, has finalised a deal to create a majority American-owned joint venture that will secure U.S. user data, safeguarding the popular short-video app from a potential U.S. ban. The move comes after years of political and legal battles over national security concerns.
The TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC will hold U.S. apps, user data, and algorithms under strict data privacy and cybersecurity measures.
American and global investors will collectively hold 80.1% of the venture, with ByteDance retaining a 19.9% stake. Cloud computing giant Oracle, private equity group Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX will each own 15%.
U.S. President Donald Trump praised the agreement in a social media post, calling the investors “a group of Great American Patriots and Investors, the Biggest in the World.”
He thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping “for working with us and, ultimately, approving the Deal. He could have gone the other way, but didn’t, and is appreciated for his decision.”
Trump added that TikTok had been “an important Voice” for his 2024 election campaign and credited the app with helping him win the youth vote.
The deal follows a 2024 U.S. law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets or face a ban, a measure upheld by the Supreme Court.
ByteDance said the venture will oversee the content recommendation algorithm, which will be secured in Oracle’s U.S. cloud, and will retrain, test, and update it using U.S. user data.
Revenue-generating operations such as advertising and e-commerce will remain with ByteDance, while the venture will receive a portion of revenue for its technology and data services.
TikTok USDS will be led by former TikTok USDS figures Adam Presser as CEO and Will Farrell as chief security officer, with TikTok CEO Shou Chew joining the board. Investors also include Michael Dell’s Dell Family Office, Vastmere Strategic Investments, Alpha Wave Partners, Revolution, Merritt Way, Via Nova, Virgo LI, and NJJ Capital.
A White House official told Reuters that the U.S. and Chinese governments had signed off on the deal, though the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.
Trump had previously said the deal met divestiture requirements and, through the venture, TikTok’s U.S. operations would continue while securing sensitive data.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parl...
Ukrainian drone strikes reportedly hit an oil depot in Ust-Labinsk and a military site near St. Petersburg, causing a fire but no casualties, accordin...
In a workshop surrounded by the wreckage of war, workers in Gaza are giving a second life to small leisure boats once used for family outings and swim...
Five Azerbaijani crew members were killed, and three others were injured after two cargo vessels were hit in a drone attack in the Sea of Azov, Azerba...
The United States has approved the possible sale of five Seahawk maritime helicopters to New Zealand in a deal valued at $1.5 billion, as Wellington m...
For decades, the factory taught the battlefield. Ukraine is now reversing the lesson.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
Ukrainian drone strikes reportedly hit an oil depot in Ust-Labinsk and a military site near St. Petersburg, causing a fire but no casualties, according to local Russian authorities.
In a workshop surrounded by the wreckage of war, workers in Gaza are giving a second life to small leisure boats once used for family outings and swimming trips.
Five Azerbaijani crew members were killed, and three others were injured after two cargo vessels were hit in a drone attack in the Sea of Azov, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Friday, as Russia blamed Ukraine for the strike.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
The new AnewZ documentary, TARGET: Yerevan, builds its explosive case on exclusive, secret recordings originally published by Minval Politika.
Azerbaijan has strongly rejected allegations published by CNN claiming that its territory was used for Israeli military and intelligence operations against Iran, describing the report as entirely baseless and demanding a retraction.
Armenia will hold parliamentary elections on 7 June 2026, a vote that will shape the country’s political direction for the next five years. Understanding how the electoral system converts votes into parliamentary power is key to following the outcome and its wider regional implications.
People across Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to access food, clean water, shelter and medical care as the conflict continues.
Ukrainian drone strikes reportedly hit an oil depot in Ust-Labinsk and a military site near St. Petersburg, causing a fire but no casualties, according to local Russian authorities.
The United States has approved the possible sale of five Seahawk maritime helicopters to New Zealand in a deal valued at $1.5 billion, as Wellington moves to strengthen its armed forces.
The United States has announced an additional $38 million to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as health officials warn that the virus could spread further without stronger action.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment