What do TikTok’s new owners mean for your feed?

TikTok is officially under new ownership in the US, and that could bring big changes for the video-sharing app. On January 22ndByteDance – TikTok’s Chinese parent company – and a group of investors struck a $14 billion deal to separate the platform’s US operations, bringing in a new slate of American executives.

Silver Lake investment firm, Abu Dhabi-based MGX, and cloud giant Oracle will each take a 15 percent stake in the new TikTok US Data Security (USDS) Joint Venture LLC. ByteDance will still hold a 19.9 percent stake in the company, in line with that Withdrawal or ban law That took effect last year — although the deal was passed with the help of President Donald Trump Continuous disregard for the law.

The most noticeable change so far has been the new terms of service, which have appeared for US-based users moving to TikTok. The new terms have some people concerned, but some of the sections raising concerns aren’t actually new.

Here’s how a shared project will impact your app and brief.

Who’s in charge of TikTok now?

Adam Presser, TikTok’s former global head of operations, trust and safety, will serve as CEO of the US-based company, while Will Farrell, who previously served as head of security and privacy at TikTok’s US arm, will become chief security officer of the joint venture.

Shou Zi Chew will remain CEO of TikTok’s global operations within ByteDance, will have a seat on the board of the US-based joint venture, and will be joined by six other Americans:

How does TikTok US interact with TikTok Global now?

You don’t need to download a new app to access the US version of the app; It should update automatically. The new app should not affect your ability to see content from other countries, at least According to TikTok’s USDS website.

The joint venture says the app will maintain “interoperability” with the TikTok used by the rest of the world, while providing users with a “global TikTok experience.” The same goes for US-based creators, with the site adding that TikTok US will ensure users can discover them “on a global scale.”

However, TikTok’s US arm will use a new version of the platform’s algorithm that the joint venture will “retrain, test and update” using US user data – a move aimed at allaying fears that the Chinese government might push propaganda through it. Beyond that, we don’t know much about how the For You feed differs from that of other countries. We also don’t know how long it will take for the algorithm to be retrained, and when it will be released.

Does the US acquisition change TikTok’s terms?

One of the biggest changes in TikTok Terms of Service and Privacy Policy is that it will now collect your precise geographic location instead of just your approximate location – but only if you give the app permission to do so.

The updated terms also add a new section about collecting information from your AI interactions, “including the prompts, questions, files, and other types of information you send to our AI-powered interfaces, as well as the responses you generate.” Nevertheless Some users It draws attention to other areas of the agreement, but the rest remains largely unchanged compared to its previous policy, which was Last updated on August 19, 2024.

For example, the text about TikTok collecting information you provide about your “racial or ethnic origin, national origin, religious beliefs, mental or physical health diagnosis, sex life or sexual orientation, transgender or non-binary status, citizenship or immigration status, or financial information” was also present in the previous terms. Both terms also state that the app will collect your location information and messages you send on the platform, and that TikTok can share your information in response to subpoenas, court orders, and law enforcement requests.

How will content moderation change?

The deal makes Oracle responsible for TikTok’s security and data privacy in the US, as well as its algorithm. TikTok’s USDS website It also says that the newly formed company “will protect the US content ecosystem and will have decision-making authority regarding trust, safety, and content moderation policies.”

With TikTok USDS taking charge of what users see on the platform, some users have raised concerns about censorship, esp When it comes to content related to Palestine. Larry Ellison, who co-founded Oracle, did just that Sympathizing with President Donald TrumpJoin A $500 billion initiative To build huge data centers in the United States. Ellison also has ties to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and donated $16.6 million to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces in 2017. pointed out before Objection.

Although the TikTok USDS does not provide any details regarding content moderation, there are several Social media companies They have adjusted their policies to be… Much friendlier to Trump Over the past year, the company’s new leadership could change things as well. With a Trump ally owning a significant portion of TikTok, the US-based company could take that stake Trump’s enthusiasm for censorship and Aversion to content moderation In mind. Current TikTok Community Guidelines Ban hate speech and misinformation, as well as content that might mislead voters or interfere with elections — all of which could be controversial under a Trump ally.

Many users They say they are They delete TikTok After seeing the Terms of Service pop up, with some mentioning the “Fascist owners” and Links to Ellison. (It’s hard to get hard data on whether people actually leave.) Changes in the platform algorithm And the potential The impact of the Trump administration. Some creators even invite others to do so Oracle’s TikTok ban account, as well as informing users how to do this Disable geo-tracking.

But perhaps the bigger question is how all these changes will impact TikTok’s style and the types of videos that succeed on the platform. The components that made the video go viral now belong to a completely different party — and it remains to be seen whether they use that power to advance a foreign agenda.

Kate Rowan, director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, urges TikTok’s new U.S. owners to be transparent about their plans. “This deal is troubling because it hands control of speech on TikTok to a new consortium of investors who have their own motivations for shaping online discourse.” Rawan says. “Anyone who has witnessed the change in ownership of Twitter, now X, knows that ownership matters.”

The joint venture is also attracting the attention of lawmakers, including Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). Saying The deal “raises more questions than answers.” Markey is also calling on Congress to investigate the deal and “ensure that any arrangement truly protects national security while keeping TikTok online.”