President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at allowing TikTok to continue its operations in the United States while addressing national security concerns. The specifics of the deal remain unclear, but Trump stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping has approved it. Any significant changes to TikTok could greatly affect how Americans, especially young adults and teenagers, access information online. Trump has often highlighted TikTok's role in connecting with voters during his 2024 presidential campaign.

Last year, former President Joe Biden enacted legislation requiring China's ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. assets to an American company by early 2023 or face a nationwide ban. However, Trump’s administration had previously issued orders that permitted TikTok to operate while negotiations for a sale were ongoing. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the new deal would transfer TikTok's U.S. assets from ByteDance to American owners.

The Chinese embassy in Washington has not confirmed whether China has agreed to the proposed framework. A Pew Research Center report indicates that approximately 43% of U.S. adults under 30 regularly obtain news from TikTok, surpassing other social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Under the terms disclosed by the White House, TikTok will be restructured into a new U.S. joint venture owned by a group of American investors, including Oracle and Silver Lake Partners. Although the final details are still pending, the investment group is expected to hold around 80% of the new venture, while ByteDance will retain a 20% or smaller share. The board overseeing the new platform will be primarily composed of U.S. investors, with one representative from ByteDance who will not participate in security-related matters.

The new ownership includes individuals with ties to Trump, such as Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. This raises concerns about potential political influence on the platform. Ellison, who remains active in Oracle as chairman and chief technology officer, could play a significant role in the media landscape. Trump also mentioned that Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Technologies, will be an investor in the new venture.

A key issue in the ongoing security debate is TikTok's recommendation algorithm, which has been criticized for its potential vulnerability to manipulation by Chinese authorities. U.S. officials have previously warned that the algorithm could be used to influence messaging on the platform, although no evidence has been presented to support claims of such manipulation. During his first term, Trump attempted to ban TikTok unless it separated from ByteDance, citing concerns over data collection and access to Americans' personal information.

The Trump administration has shifted its approach, now suggesting that a licensed version of the ByteDance-created algorithm, retrained with U.S. data, will power the new U.S. version of TikTok. This change is intended to eliminate risks of Chinese interference. Trump noted that young people were eager for this outcome, but it remains uncertain whether the U.S. version of TikTok will differ significantly from the global app.

Analyst Jasmine Enberg from eMarketer cautioned that altering a social media platform's service could alienate its user base. She pointed to Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, which led to immediate backlash due to visible changes. The gradual adjustments to TikTok's algorithm may be subtle and not easily noticeable to users.

China's initial response to the demand for TikTok's divestment was one of resistance, labeling it an act of "robbery." However, as U.S.-China trade relations evolved, Chinese officials appeared more amenable to the deal. Some analysts suggest that China may have negotiated concessions on trade restrictions in exchange for the TikTok agreement, while others believe it could facilitate a meeting between Xi and Trump.

Dimitar Gueorguiev, a political science professor, described TikTok as an "expendable concession" for Beijing, noting that it has lost its disruptive edge. He argued that China is more focused on retaining access to U.S. technology and services to enhance its self-sufficiency in critical sectors like semiconductors and artificial intelligence. "TikTok, by contrast, is a maturing consumer app with diminishing strategic weight," he said.