US creeps closer to controlling TikTok after Trump-Xi meeting

US Closer to Regaining Control Over TikTok Algorithm After Trump-Xi Meeting

The United States took a significant step towards regaining control over the algorithm of popular social media platform TikTok after President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. Although neither leader confirmed that China has agreed to the terms of Trump's proposed deal, a statement from the Chinese Commerce Ministry suggests that Beijing will resolve "TikTok-related issues" with the US.

Under the proposed agreement, ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, would retain a 20% stake in its US operations and license the Chinese-owned algorithm. Analysts see this as a favorable arrangement for China, allowing it to maintain some level of influence over the app. Dan Ives, a tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, noted that "buying TikTok without the algorithm would be like buying a Ferrari without the engine," highlighting the importance of the algorithm in TikTok's value.

The deal is still subject to Chinese approval, and it remains unclear whether Beijing will demand changes to Trump's proposal. However, analysts suggest that China may not be satisfied with the terms or may want to maintain some level of control over the app. As Louise Loo, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics, pointed out, "we simply don't know enough details yet to determine if Beijing's interests in the TikTok contention truly aligns with President Trump's motivations."

If the deal goes through, US owners may retrain TikTok's algorithm and make changes to content filtering. Some speculate that users could be isolated from global content, but experts argue this is unlikely. Kelley Cotter, an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University, suggested that the algorithm could be tweaked to reflect conservative views, potentially leading to a shift in the platform's content.

The implications of a Trump-approved TikTok deal are far-reaching, with potential changes to the app's content and user experience. As the US takes control over TikTok's algorithm, it raises questions about the future of social media and its influence on society.

I'm kinda thinking that this is gonna be a big thing for US tech users . If they really do take control of TikTok's algorithm, it could change the whole game for the app - I mean, imagine if all that cool content from other countries isn't showing up in your feed anymore . But on the flip side, if they can clean up the platform and make it more user-friendly, that's a major win for us .

I'm also wondering what this means for US users who have been complaining about TikTok's algorithm favoring Chinese creators . If the US does end up controlling the algorithm, maybe we'll see more content from American creators getting more visibility . Plus, it'll be interesting to see how the app changes in terms of content filtering - will they really start censoring some types of videos or not?

The plot thickens, folks! So China agrees to "resolve" their issues with TikTok, but what does that even mean? Are they gonna hand over the algorithm like a hot potato or just give Trump some sweet, sweet tea and a plate of Peking duck? I'm not buying it (pun intended). 20% stake in US ops? That's cute. Meanwhile, analysts are speculating about tweaks to the algorithm that could lead to more conservative content. Because what America really needs is less drama on TikTok... or is this just a ploy for China to get more influence over our young minds?

OMG u guys ! So like I'm low-key freaking out rn... Trump just met up with Xi Jinping in South Korea and now we might be able to take back control of TikTok's algorithm lol ! Can u believe it?! It's like, finally something good happening for the US on social media ! And omg Dan Ives is right, buying TikTok without the algorithm would be so pointless . Like what's the point of having a popular app if we can't even control its own algorithm?

And yeah, Kelley Cotter made some valid points too... maybe our content could get more diverse and reflect conservative views? That would be lit! I'm totes here for it . And can you imagine us being able to tweak the algorithm to show more US-centric content instead of all that global stuff? That's like, a whole new level of social media greatness !

But idk what Beijing is thinking... are they gonna get their way and keep some level of control over TikTok? That would be soooo not cool . Fingers crossed the deal goes through and we can take back our social media empire !

I'm kinda stoked that the US is getting back in the driver's seat when it comes to TikTok's algorithm It's wild to think that China was essentially running the show from behind the scenes. Now, if Trump gets what he wants, we might see some changes to the content and user experience. I'm curious to know how they'll tweak the algorithm, but Kelley Cotter makes a good point about it being unlikely that users will be isolated from global content . Still, it's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out... what do you guys think will happen next?

so the US is finally gonna get a say in what's going on in tiktok land . i mean, can you imagine having to deal with an algorithm that's literally controlled by china? it's like, super sketchy . but at the same time, it's cool that trump is taking steps to regain control over his own app . and i gotta wonder what this means for content creators on the platform... are they gonna have more freedom to express themselves or be forced to conform to certain views? it's definitely an interesting time to be living in the US

this is such a huge deal I mean, think about it, china has kinda been playing hard to get with tiktok, but now they're willing to compromise? i'm not sure if trump's side is getting the best end of this deal though... 20% stake in their us operations just doesn't seem like enough control for the us plus what's gonna happen to all the chinese owned content on there? will it get a 'conservative filter' or something? that's definitely an interesting angle Kelley Cotter mentioned. idk, i think we're just scratching the surface of what this deal could mean for social media and society as a whole

I'm not sure if China is really going to back down on this one . I mean, they're already doing so much business with the US and other countries... why would they give up control of TikTok's algorithm? It just doesn't add up . Plus, think about all the IP and user data that ByteDance has access to - that's not something you can easily give back . I'm a bit skeptical that Trump got everything he wanted out of this meeting . Maybe China was just being nice for PR purposes? We'll have to wait and see how it plays out .

I'm low-key excited about this deal lol . Like, China getting a 20% stake in TikTok's US ops is a pretty chill compromise for both parties, right? . It's all about finding that sweet spot where both sides can win (well, kinda) . The idea of retraining the algorithm and making changes to content filtering is actually kinda cool . I mean, think about it - we could get rid of all the drama and controversy surrounding TikTok, and just have a more... wholesome experience . Plus, if conservative views start getting more representation on the platform, that's like, awesome too . Not gonna lie, though - I'm still a bit skeptical about what this deal really means for users . Only time (and a ton of algorithm tweaks ) will tell!

This is gonna be interesting... think they're trying to get a handle on what's going on in that algorithm... 20% stake sounds like a nice way for China to still keep their fingers in the pie, but I'm not sure about this "tweaking" business... could lead to some weird content filtering. Maybe we'll see more conservatism creeping into those TikTok feeds?

lol so china is basically giving us an olive branch by saying they'll "resolve tiktok-related issues" without actually telling us what that means idk how comforting that sounds to anyone who still uses tiktok... maybe it's just a way for them to pretend like they're being all nice and cooperative while secretly keeping the algorithm anyway, i'm not sure if having china hold a 20% stake in the us operations is such a big deal. can we even trust what byte dance says anymore?

I think this is gonna be a game changer for us , we're finally gonna have some say in what we see on our ForYou page . And yeah, having that 20% stake thing is kinda cool too . Can't wait to see how they tweak the algorithm and what kinda content we'll get . It's like, we're not gonna be stuck watching all those ASMR vids or whatever , we'll have some real choices now . But I guess it's also a bit of a bummer that China is still getting some level of control . Maybe they'll surprise us and make the algorithm super cool and stuff . One thing's for sure tho, this changes everything .

I'm worried about this TikTok thing . So China is gonna keep some control over the algorithm? That doesn't sound right to me... Like, shouldn't we be able to decide what's on our feeds without some foreign company messing with it? And what if they do end up tweaking it to show more conservative views? Won't that kinda stifle free speech or something? I don't get why China is so interested in this app anyway... Is it just because it's super popular with kids these days?

So like I was thinking, if China agrees to this deal, it means they're willing to share some control over TikTok's algorithm with us. But at what cost? I drew a little diagram to illustrate my point:
```
+---------------+
| Chinese |
| Interest |
| (20% Stake) |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| US Control |
| (Algorithm) |
+---------------+
```
But here's the thing: China might not be satisfied with this deal, and that's what makes it so uncertain. They might want more control over the app, or they might want to change the terms of the deal altogether.

And then there's the question of how this deal will affect TikTok's content and user experience. Will we see more conservative views on the platform? Or will users still be able to access global content?
```
+---------------+
| Global Content |
| (Will it stay?) |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| Conservative Views|
| (Possible outcome) |
+---------------+
```
I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.

So I'm kinda stoked that the US is getting closer to taking back control of TikTok's algorithm, but at the same time, I'm a bit skeptical about what this means for the app's content and user experience. I mean, if the US gets to retrain the algorithm and make changes to filtering, it could potentially lead to some pretty conservative views going up on the platform. That's not necessarily something I'd be down with.

Also, I'm a bit concerned about what this means for users who are used to seeing global content on TikTok. If they're isolated from that stuff, it could get a bit stale and boring. And what about creators who rely on the platform to reach their audience? They might lose out if the algorithm changes in a way that makes it harder for them to get seen.

I guess what I'm saying is that while getting control of the algorithm is important, we need to think carefully about how that power is used and what impact it will have on the community.