The sale of TikTok's US operations to a consortium of investors led by Oracle and investment firms Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi's MGX has sent shockwaves through the social media community. The deal, which closed for $14 billion on January 22nd, marks a significant shift in ownership for the popular video-sharing app.
At the helm of the new US-based company, TikTok US Data Security (USDS), are Adam Presser as CEO and Will Farrell as chief security officer. Presser previously served as global head of operations and trust and safety at TikTok, while Farrell was responsible for security and privacy in the US.
ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, will retain a 19.9% stake in the joint venture, while Oracle will hold 15%. The Silver Lake investment firm and Abu Dhabi's MGX also have 15% stakes each.
The most visible change since the deal was announced has been a new terms of service for US-based users. While some sections are new, others are the same as before. However, one section that's generating concern is the requirement to provide precise geolocation data if users give permission.
Content moderation and censorship have also become topics of discussion. With Oracle in charge of security and data privacy in the US, as well as the algorithm, there's a risk that the Trump administration could exert influence over what content appears on the platform.
Lawmakers are taking notice, with Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) calling for Congress to investigate the deal and ensure that any arrangement truly protects national security while keeping TikTok online.
As the new owners settle in, users have taken to social media to express their concerns. Some have deleted the app altogether, citing "fascist owners" and links to Oracle's CEO, Larry Ellison. Others are calling on others to block Oracle's TikTok account or disable geotracking.
The implications of this deal for the tone of TikTok and the types of videos that succeed on the platform remain to be seen. As Kate Ruane, director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, notes, "This deal is concerning because it hands control over speech on TikTok to a new consortium of investors with their own motivations for shaping online discourse."
At the helm of the new US-based company, TikTok US Data Security (USDS), are Adam Presser as CEO and Will Farrell as chief security officer. Presser previously served as global head of operations and trust and safety at TikTok, while Farrell was responsible for security and privacy in the US.
ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, will retain a 19.9% stake in the joint venture, while Oracle will hold 15%. The Silver Lake investment firm and Abu Dhabi's MGX also have 15% stakes each.
The most visible change since the deal was announced has been a new terms of service for US-based users. While some sections are new, others are the same as before. However, one section that's generating concern is the requirement to provide precise geolocation data if users give permission.
Content moderation and censorship have also become topics of discussion. With Oracle in charge of security and data privacy in the US, as well as the algorithm, there's a risk that the Trump administration could exert influence over what content appears on the platform.
Lawmakers are taking notice, with Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) calling for Congress to investigate the deal and ensure that any arrangement truly protects national security while keeping TikTok online.
As the new owners settle in, users have taken to social media to express their concerns. Some have deleted the app altogether, citing "fascist owners" and links to Oracle's CEO, Larry Ellison. Others are calling on others to block Oracle's TikTok account or disable geotracking.
The implications of this deal for the tone of TikTok and the types of videos that succeed on the platform remain to be seen. As Kate Ruane, director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, notes, "This deal is concerning because it hands control over speech on TikTok to a new consortium of investors with their own motivations for shaping online discourse."
I'm low-key worried about this deal 
. Like, I get that ByteDance needs cash and Oracle's got the security thing down, but 19.9% stake is still a lot for a Chinese company to hold in a joint venture with US investors 
. And what's up with the geolocation data? It feels like they're trying to track us all 
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. I mean, we've seen how algorithms work in politics 
. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.
. Will it still prioritize videos based on engagement and watch time? Or will Oracle's new ownership bring some changes to that mix? We'll have to wait and see 
anyway its def a big deal n i'm watching how this all plays out 
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. and come on folks, sen ed markey is just stirring up drama for his next big campaign speech 
. everyone knows tiktok is never gonna censor anyone's content, unless its like, super extreme or something 
. and by the way, who needs congress to regulate this deal when we have better things to do than sit around all day waiting for some politician to make a decision 
... could Oracle's influence lead to some serious censorship issues 
. What's up with all these new terms of service? Can't we have a simple app experience without all these bells and whistles 
? Also, why are people freaking out over Larry Ellison being involved? Is he really that bad? 
So there's this new company, USDS, and it's led by Adam Presser and Will Farrell, but I don't know how much of a difference that's gonna make. I mean, the main concern is the geolocation data thing... if you're giving Oracle your location, what are they doing with that info? 
. I mean, we've seen what can happen when big corporations have too much control over our online presence. It's not like it's going to be censored or anything (hopefully?), but still... 19.9% of TikTok is still owned by ByteDance, so you know they're gonna have a say in things too 
. I hope the new owners are transparent about their plans and actually listen to user concerns 
. It's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out 
i don't know if i trust oracle with all this power either 
anyway, gotta keep an eye on this one 