Tech Desk 
Sep 26, 2025
In a significant development, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order detailing a proposed agreement for a US version of TikTok.
Under the deal, Trump's allies, including media magnate Rupert Murdoch, tech investor Michael Dell, and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, would gain control, and Chinese ownership would be reduced to 20%.
As per the order, "highly sophisticated" investors would oversee the US version of TikTok, including Silicon Valley titan Andreessen Horowitz and Silver Lake Management.
Millions of Americans are expected to be able to continue using TikTok while maintaining national security due to the proposed divestiture.
The American organisation would showcase a domestic version of the app's highly coveted algorithm, which is frequently referred to as TikTok's "secret sauce".
According to a White House official statement the algorithm will be "continuously monitored" to make sure it is "not being unduly influenced".
Vice President JD Vance said that the investors would ultimately decide the price, but the deal values the US entity at about $14 billion.
Trump, who expressed "great respect" for the Chinese leader, confirmed over the phone last week that President Xi Jinping approved the deal.
The agreement provides a 120-day enforcement delay and pushes the completion date to January 23. Beijing has mostly kept quiet about the agreement, and TikTok has not responded.
This action is in response to a law that was passed under Joe Biden, Trump's predecessor, mandating that ByteDance sell its US operations or risk being banned.
The new arrangement may have a big effect on how Americans use the internet to obtain information.
