TikTok
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ByteDance is writing the US version of the app now.
But the app isn’t the concerning bit so much as the algorithm. So yeah, Matt’s right. And I was too. Unfortunately.
ByteDance is writing the US version of the app now.
But the app isn’t the concerning bit so much as the algorithm. So yeah, Matt’s right. And I was too. Unfortunately.
I will always stipulate that you have a vague rhetorical framing in mind where you are right. But over here in a more objective reality, it is ill-supported to say that there will be no oversight of the American version of the code by the new owners. The other thing you're "right" about, something something Trump gets richer, here's a more benign description of that bidding process:
Yes — there was significant competition and multiple bidders interested in owning TikTok’s U.S. operations, not just Oracle / Andreessen Horowitz / Silver Lake. The deal that seems to be coalescing involves those firms, but there were others in the running or at least considering bids. Here are the details:
Other bidders / interested parties
According to multiple reports, the following entities either submitted proposals or expressed interest in acquiring TikTok’s U.S. assets:
- Amazon — submitted a last-minute offer for TikTok’s non-China assets. (Reuters)
- OnlyFans founder (Tim Stokely) in partnership with the Hedera cryptocurrency foundation. (Reuters)
- AppLovin — proposed a merger involving TikTok’s global assets (excluding China). (Reuters)
- Perplexity AI — submitted a plan to create a new entity combining Perplexity and TikTok U.S., with some proposals even involving U.S. government involvement post-IPO. (Reuters)
- Frank McCourt and Alexis Ohanian — under what has been called “The People’s Bid” initiative. (Reuters)
- Jesse Tinsley and MrBeast — made an all-cash $30 billion offer. (Reuters)
- Microsoft — had explored the idea earlier; but Microsoft’s efforts seem to have fallen through or become less central in recent rounds. (Bloomberg.com)
So yes — there was quite a lot of competition, from large tech companies, venture capital/PE groups, individual entrepreneurs, and other tech-oriented firms.
Why Oracle / a U.S. consortium got picked
Among all the bidders, a consortium led by Oracle with Andreessen Horowitz, Silver Lake, and some other investors (including existing U.S. shareholders in ByteDance like Susquehanna, General Atlantic, and KKR) appears to have become the lead-choice. Some reasons why:
- Existing relationship & infrastructure: Oracle is already hosting TikTok’s U.S. user data (Project Texas) and is involved in U.S. cloud infrastructure for TikTok. That gives Oracle credibility and infrastructure readiness to take on the data hosting / security responsibilities. (Reuters)
- Meeting legal / regulatory requirements: The U.S. law (PAFACA) requires that ByteDance’s Chinese ownership be reduced to under 20% for U.S. TikTok assets, and the new deal keeps ByteDance at about 19.9%. The consortium structure with U.S. majority ownership helps satisfy that requirement. (Reuters)
- National security / data safeguards: Because Oracle already handles some of the data, there is an established trust (or at least precedent) for U.S. operations to manage user data in a way more directly under U.S. jurisdiction. That helps with satisfying national security concerns. (Reuters)
- Political feasibility: The chosen group seems more likely to satisfy U.S. government evaluations, to negotiate with China, etc. Large tech/finance players with existing regulatory exposure are more predictable choices vs. some of the more dramatic bids (like those from individuals or newer companies).
If you like, I can pull up more details about the competing bids (e.g. what they proposed, how far they got) so you can compare them side-by-side. Do you want that?
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We should have a thread dedicated to your JDS, so that when you want to turn the conversation to me instead of the topic under discussion, you can post it there so that people can choose to read that if they want or just stay with the topic at hand.
At any rate, I’ll repeat, the code isn’t all that important. The algorithm is.
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We should have a thread dedicated to your JDS, so that when you want to turn the conversation to me instead of the topic under discussion, you can post it there so that people can choose to read that if they want or just stay with the topic at hand.
At any rate, I’ll repeat, the code isn’t all that important. The algorithm is.
We should have a thread dedicated to your JDS, so that when you want to turn the conversation to me instead of the topic under discussion, you can post it there so that people can choose to read that if they want or just stay with the topic at hand.
At any rate, I’ll repeat, the code isn’t all that important. The algorithm is.
Obviously my post was almost entirely about the discussion at hand.
I guess this is where I ask you what the difference is between algorithm and code, and then it's your turn to weasel out of the question (to which there is no good answer).
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It’s true the algorithm is implemented in code, but what seems to be relevant here is that the consortium will be licensing the algorithm from ByteDance.
It’s true the algorithm is implemented in code, but what seems to be relevant here is that the consortium will be licensing the algorithm from ByteDance.
Licensing does not imply zero oversight, which is the point I originally made in response to Yglesias and you. That is his leap, it is ill-supported, and I suspect just wrong.
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https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-new-privacy-policy/
WHEN TIKTOK USERS in the US opened the app today, they were greeted with a pop-up asking them to agree to the social media platform’s new terms of service and privacy policy before they could resume scrolling.
These changes are part of TikTok’s transition to new ownership. In order to continue operating in the US, TikTok was compelled by the US government to transition from Chinese control to a new, American-majority corporate entity. Called TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, the new entity is made up of a group of investors that includes the software company Oracle.
Three Changes
TikTok Adds Precise Location Tracking
TikTok Now Tracks AI Interactions
TikTok Expands Its Ads Network -
TikTok wants users to believe that errors blocking uploads of anti-ICE videos or direct messages mentioning Jeffrey Epstein are due to technical errors—not the platform seemingly shifting to censor content critical of Donald Trump after he hand-picked the US owners who took over the app last week.
However, experts say that TikTok users’ censorship fears are justified, whether the bugs are to blame or not.
Ioana Literat, an associate professor of technology, media, and learning at Teachers College, Columbia University, has studied TikTok’s politics since the app first shot to popularity in the US in 2018. She told Ars that “users’ fears are absolutely justified” and explained why the “bugs” explanation is “insufficient.”
