WASHINGTON ‒ President Donald Trump signed an executive order to help finalize the sale of TikTok's U.S. operations to an American investor group and keep the popular video app operating in the country.

“We have American investors taking it over, running it, highly sophisticated," Trump said Sept. 25 in signing the order.

Vice President JD Vance, who helped shepherd the deal, said it protects Americans' data security, addressing one of the key concerns lawmakers on both sides of the aisle share. The new U.S. venture will be valued at $14 billion, Vance said.

White House officials said earlier this week that TikTok had reached a preliminary deal to keep operating in the United States. But various procedural hurdles remain even with Trump's signature, including a review of antitrust laws governing fair market competition.

The agreement, which the Trump administration has worked on for months, would spin off Beijing-based TikTok's American operations to a new joint venture composed of majority American ownership. Oracle, a U.S.-based technology firm, would serve as TikTok's security provider for its American operations.

The full composition of the ownership group is expected to be finalized by the closing of the deal, which could come in early 2026. Trump has already hinted at some names including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, billionaire tech investor Michael Dell, businessman and media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch.

Under the arrangement, TikTok's algorithm would move under the control of the new U.S. joint venture. Oracle would be in charge of inspecting and monitoring the algorithm to make sure it's not used for any "malicious purpose," a U.S. official said.

Leaders in multiple administrations have expressed concerns that TikTok poses a national security threat, alleging ByteDance is sharing American user data with China. TikTok has repeatedly denied these claims.

Former President Joe Biden signed a law in 2024 banning TikTok in the United States unless Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, divested its U.S. holdings. Trump, however, has extended the sell-or-ban deadline three times in his second presidential term.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Trump signs off on TikTok deal that values US app at $14 billion

Reporting by Zac Anderson and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect