TikTok Avoids US Ban with Joint Venture Deal

TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance has signed a deal with US and global investors to operate its business in America, potentially avoiding a US ban. The joint venture will be 50% owned by a group of investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. ByteDance will retain 19.9% of the business. The deal follows years of efforts by Washington to force ByteDance to sell its US operations over national security concerns. Critics, including Senate Democrat Ron Wyden, argue that the deal won't protect American users' privacy.

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TikTok has signed a binding agreement to divest its US entity into a joint venture controlled by a consortium of American investors, effectively averting a looming nationwide ban and securing the platform's future for its 170 million American users. The new entity, named TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, is set to come into effect on January 22, 2026, and will be responsible for US data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance. The deal, backed by US President Donald Trump, restructures TikTok's ownership to comply with US national security rules on data privacy and foreign influence.