TikTok's Big Change: Who's Really in Control?

TikTok's future in the US is taking a major turn. The White House has revealed that Oracle will be the one watching over TikTok's algorithm once the deal goes through. This is a big deal because the algorithm is what makes TikTok so popular, but it's also what has raised concerns about national security. The deal will hand over TikTok's US operations to a new group mostly owned by Americans. Oracle and Silver Lake will be part of this group, along with other investors. ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, will keep a small share of less than 20%. The White House is pretty sure the deal will happen, but it still needs some approvals from China. The algorithm is a big part of the story. US officials have been worried that ByteDance could be forced to change the algorithm to influence people in the US. The new owners will get a copy of the algorithm, check it out, and train it using data from US users. Oracle will keep an eye on how it works. This deal is a big step in the effort to put TikTok under American control. It's been a long process, but the end is in sight. The deal is expected to be worth billions, and the White House is still figuring out if it will take a fee for helping make it happen. Oracle is also making some changes. Their CEO, Safra Catz, is stepping down and will become vice chair. It's not clear if this is because of the TikTok deal, but it could mean she takes a bigger role in the new TikTok group.