A new US consortium has taken over some TikTok operation in the country.
That could spell changes for any users, with algorithm updates and possibly even a new app rumoured.
If you're a TikTok user in the USA, things could soon start to look very different indeed. That's because the app has been taken over by a new entity, and it looks set to make some adjustments to how the app operates.
If you cast your mind back a little over a year ago, you may remember the time when the app disappeared from the App Store in the country. Since then, a deal has been brokered to change the ownership structure in the region, with a slew of investors joining the ownership.
According to a report on The Verge, that includes a trio of managing investors – Silver Lake, Oracle and MGX – who have taken a 15% stake each. Other smaller investors including the family investment fund of computing mogul, Michael Dell, make up the 80.1% stake held by the new consortium. The remaining 19.9% stake is held by original owners, ByteDance.
Just what is changing, though, is still up for debate. Some have rumoured a different app for the service in that region, which seems unlikely. However, the report does suggest that the firm will be making some changes to the algorithm, which will favour US creators.
A press release from TikTok USDS says it will be, "ensuring U.S. creators can be discovered and businesses can operate on a global scale. TikTok global’s U.S. entities will manage global product interoperability and certain commercial activities, including e-commerce, advertising, and marketing."
It goes on to detail how the security side will work, with data protection and other back-end processes handled by the companies involved. To sum it up very succinctly, user data, algorithm data and software assurance will now be handled by what is called the "Joint Venture".
There's nothing too concrete to draw on at this moment, then. But one thing is for sure – if you use TikTok in the USA, things may start to feel very different in the coming days.
