The Ban Is Dead: TikTok Finalizes Deal to Form “TikTok US,” Trump Takes a Victory Lap, and the App Is Here to Stay
You can stop downloading your drafts. You can delete the backup apps. TikTok is safe.
After two years of “Will they, won’t they?” drama, the deadline has arrived, and the deal is done. On Thursday (Jan 22), TikTok officially finalized the agreement to spin off its US operations into a new, separate entity: TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC.
Essentially, the app just got a green card.
The “Kill Switch” law—which would have banned the app today if it stayed fully Chinese-owned—has been satisfied. But if you look at the fine print, this isn’t a total sale. It’s a geopolitical prenup.
The New “American” Owners
Who owns your “For You” page now? It’s a mix of Silicon Valley and Wall Street.
- The “US Control” Group (50%): A consortium led by Oracle (who also hosts the data), private equity giant Silver Lake, and UAE-based investment firm MGX.
- The ByteDance Slice (~20%): Yes, the Chinese parent company ByteDance still retains a minority stake (capped at 19.9% to satisfy US law).
- The Rest: Existing global investors (like General Atlantic) hold the balance.
The key here is Governance. The new “TikTok US” will have a seven-member board, and the majority of them are Americans approved by the US government.
The New Boss & The Trump Factor
The new CEO of this American entity is Adam Presser (formerly TikTok’s Head of Operations), a move that signals “stability” rather than a total shakeup.
But the loudest voice in the room is undoubtedly President Trump. Trump took to Truth Social immediately after the deal closed to claim credit, explicitly thanking Chinese President Xi Jinping “for working with us.” “I hope that long into the future I will be remembered by those who use and love TikTok,” Trump wrote. It is a massive pivot from 2020 Trump (who wanted to ban it), but perfect for 2026 Trump (who knows his base lives on the app).
What Changes For You?
Honestly? Nothing.
- The App: Stays the same on your phone.
- The Data: Your data is now legally “locked” in Oracle’s US cloud servers (the finalized “Project Texas” model).
- The Algorithm: This is the tricky part. The code will be “reviewed” by Oracle, but the magic sauce that makes you scroll for 4 hours is staying intact.
Happy Gen X
This was never about safety; it was about leverage. The US government got what it wanted (control/oversight), ByteDance got what it wanted (money/survival), and Trump got a win.
The winners? The 170 million Americans who don’t have to find a new hobby tomorrow.
Poll: Do you trust “TikTok US” with your data more than the old version?
- Yes (It’s American-run now)
- No (It’s still the same app)
- Don’t Care (Just let me scroll)
