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TikTok Secures Its Place in the U.S.

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The widely used social media platform TikTok has confirmed its continued presence in the United States.

After years of speculation regarding its future, TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have completed the formation of a new U.S. joint venture.

This agreement was made in accordance with an executive order issued by President Trump in September, which required ByteDance to transfer the majority of its U.S. business ownership to a group of American investors.

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On Thursday, TikTok announced that the new U.S. joint venture will be managed by three main investors—Silver Lake, Oracle, and the UAE-based MGX—each holding a 15% stake, while ByteDance will maintain a 19.9% share.

Adam Presser, formerly TikTok’s head of operations and trust and safety, will lead the venture. He will serve on a seven-member board, which will be majority American and include TikTok CEO Shou Chew.

ByteDance faced mounting pressure to sell its stake in TikTok’s U.S. operations after Congress passed legislation that took effect a year ago, threatening a nationwide ban if the company did not comply.

According to TikTok, the new structure introduces enhanced protections for user data and algorithms, along with improved content moderation and software security.

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The company stated that the revamped U.S. operation will function under “strict safeguards to protect national security, including robust data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurances for American users.”

These security measures will be supported by Oracle’s cloud infrastructure. Oracle’s Executive Chairman, Larry Ellison, has also been in the spotlight for his efforts to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery via Paramount.

For users in the United States, TikTok will continue to operate as usual. The platform reports over 200 million American users and 7.5 million businesses utilizing its services.

The announcement, made last month, has brought relief to many U.S.-based creators, especially those in Southern California who depend on TikTok for their income.

This agreement dispels uncertainty that had surrounded TikTok’s future, solidifying its status as a leading global social media platform with a significant presence in Culver City.

For years, TikTok’s U.S. operations faced doubts due to lawmakers’ concerns about ByteDance’s connections to China.

President Trump, who previously advocated for a TikTok ban, ultimately allowed the app to remain in the U.S. and in September signed the executive order that paved the way for the new joint venture.