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.
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.
. 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 
.
. 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? 
! 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? 
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 
!
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? 
. 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? 
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 
. Plus, think about all the IP and user data that ByteDance has access to - that's not something you can easily give back 
. Maybe China was just being nice for PR purposes? We'll have to wait and see how it plays out 
.
. 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 
) will tell!
I think this is gonna be a game changer for us 
. It's like, we're not gonna be stuck watching all those ASMR vids or whatever 
, we'll have some real choices now 
. One thing's for sure tho, this changes everything 
I drew a little diagram to illustrate my point: 
They might want more control over the app, or they might want to change the terms of the deal altogether.