Latest news with #US-specific
India Today
5 days ago
- Business
- India Today
TikTok building separate app for US as exit deadline looms
TikTok is preparing to launch a standalone app for US users that is expected to operate on a separate algorithm and data system from its global app, laying the groundwork for a potential sale orchestrated by US President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the the past several months, TikTok employees have been working under tight deadlines to build a new, US-specific version of TikTok by transferring and duplicating the application's codebase — including AI models, algorithms, features and user data — from the global platform, current employees at the company told Reuters, who requested anonymity while discussing private move could open the door to resolving years of debate over whether the company would share what is considered the crown jewel of the ByteDance-owned short video-sharing platform- the recommendation algorithm powering the Chinese-owned platform, which has been at the center of the US-China technology standoff. ByteDance and TikTok declined to initiative, known internally as 'M2", has a September deadline, and could represent the biggest technical break between TikTok's US operations and its international business. The change is expected to impact how 170 million US users access global content and how non-US creators make money on the new US-only app is designed to function independently, similar to Douyin — the version of TikTok available exclusively in mainland China. Users from outside the US will not find the American version in their app store, sources details of the upcoming US app are reported here for the first time. The Information first reported on the planned launch of the US TikTok current content is expected to migrate into the new app, it remains unclear to what degree new content from the global TikTok apps will be integrated into the US version. The new app is expected to use only data from US users to train its recommendation algorithms, further distancing it from TikTok's global systems, sources added. As a result, most users will be recommended content generated within the ANXIETYThe push to separate TikTok's US app from its global platform has been underway for months, as ByteDance executives prepared various plans to prevent a ban of the app in the US, a move required by recently passed legislation over data security future of the app used by nearly half of all Americans has been up in the air since a 2024 law, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, required ByteDance to divest TikTok by January officials have said TikTok's ownership by ByteDance makes it beholden to the Chinese government, and Beijing could use the app to conduct influence operations against the US and collect data on the first deadline and a brief moment of "going dark" in January, TikTok began moving non-US user data out of American data centers run by Oracle, ensuring only US user data remained on servers in the US, paving the way for separating US and international businesses, according to company has also been working on separating the codebase for its core algorithm since last year, a move first reported by Reuters and denied by the company at the the split is completed, the core technology and ongoing development will be managed separately from the global TikTok team, although some ByteDance employees could continue supporting TikTok US in an outsourced capacity, one of the sources has raised internal concerns about whether the algorithm for the US will remain as effective in the long run as it is today, when TikTok can leverage ByteDance's global engineering talent and product project comes as ByteDance faces continued political pressure in Washington to divest its US business. A deal had been in the works this spring to spin off TikTok's US operations into a new US-based firm, but it was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese a sale is finalised, the new app is expected to be owned by a joint venture formed by an American investor consortium and ByteDance, which will maintain a minority consortium, which has emerged as the frontrunner, includes ByteDance's current shareholders Susquehanna International Group (SIG), General Atlantic, KKR KKR.N, as well as new investors such as Blackstone and Andreessen Horowitz, Reuters previously reported. Oracle ORCL.N is also likely to take a it remains unclear whether Beijing has approved the plan to copy the algorithm or sell TikTok's US previous negotiations, Chinese authorities expressed strong reluctance to allow the export of TikTok's recommendation algorithm, widely seen as ByteDance's valuable asset and a key driver of its global 2020, when the Trump administration first pushed for a sale of TikTok's US business, China updated its export control rules to cover technologies such as recommendation algorithms, effectively giving the government a say over any the time, TikTok's management team rejected the plan of hiving off its US operations as detrimental to both users and the global network, according to people with knowledge of the the talks on TikTok's fate are also part of President Trump's broader trade negotiations with China over tariffs, sources said last week he would resume talks with China about a TikTok deal. While he said he was "not confident" about Beijing's approval, Trump added, "I think the deal is good for China and it's good for us."- EndsMust Watch
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
TikTok prepares US app with its own algorithm, user data
NEW YORK (Reuters) — TikTok is preparing to launch a standalone app for US users that is expected to operate on a separate algorithm and data system from its global app, laying the groundwork for a potential sale orchestrated by US President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter. Over the past several months, TikTok employees have been working under tight deadlines to build a new, US-specific version of TikTok by transferring and duplicating the application's codebase — including AI models, algorithms, features, and user data — from the global platform, current employees at the company told Reuters, who requested anonymity while discussing private matters. The move could open the door to resolving years of debate over whether the company would share what is considered the crown jewel of the ByteDance-owned short video-sharing platform- the recommendation algorithm powering the Chinese-owned platform, which has been at the center of the US-China technology standoff. The initiative, known internally as 'M2," has a September deadline, and could represent the biggest technical break between TikTok's US operations and its international business. The change is expected to impact how 170 million US users access global content and how non-US creators make money on the platform. The new US-only app is designed to function independently, similar to Douyin — the version of TikTok available exclusively in mainland China. Users from outside the US will not find the American version in their app store, sources said. Technical details of the upcoming US app are reported here for the first time. The Information first reported on the planned launch of the US TikTok app. While current content is expected to migrate into the new app, it remains unclear to what degree new content from the global TikTok apps will be integrated into the US version. The new app is expected to use only data from US users to train its recommendation algorithms, further distancing it from TikTok's global systems, sources added. As a result, most users will be recommended content generated within the US. The push to separate TikTok's US app from its global platform has been underway for months, as ByteDance executives prepared various plans to prevent a ban of the app in the US, a move required by recently passed legislation over data security concerns. The future of the app used by nearly half of all Americans has been up in the air since a 2024 law, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, required ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19. Washington officials have said TikTok's ownership by ByteDance makes it beholden to the Chinese government, and Beijing could use the app to conduct influence operations against the US and collect data on Americans. After the first deadline and a brief moment of "going dark" in January, TikTok began moving non-US user data out of American data centers run by Oracle, ensuring only US user data remained on servers in the US, paving the way for separating US and international businesses, according to sources. The company has also been working on separating the codebase for its core algorithm since last year, a move first reported by Reuters and denied by the company at the time. Once the split is completed, the core technology and ongoing development will be managed separately from the global TikTok team, although some ByteDance employees could continue supporting TikTok US in an outsourced capacity, one of the sources added. This has raised internal concerns about whether the algorithm for the US will remain as effective in the long run as it is today, when TikTok can leverage ByteDance's global engineering talent and product expertise. The project comes as ByteDance faces continued political pressure in Washington to divest its US business. A deal had been in the works this spring to spin off TikTok's US operations into a new US-based firm, but it was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods.
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
TikTok set to launch standalone US app in move towards sale of Stateside operations
TikTok is preparing to launch a standalone app for US users that is expected to operate on a separate algorithm and data system from its global app, laying the groundwork for a potential sale orchestrated by US President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter. Over the past several months, TikTok employees have been working under tight deadlines to build a new, US-specific version of TikTok by transferring and duplicating the application's codebase — including AI models, algorithms, features, and user data — from the global platform, current employees at the company told Reuters, who requested anonymity while discussing private matters. The move could open the door to resolving years of debate over whether the company would share what is considered the crown jewel of the ByteDance-owned short video-sharing platform - the recommendation algorithm powering the Chinese-owned platform, which has been at the centre of the US-China technology standoff. ByteDance and TikTok declined to comment. The initiative, known internally as 'M2", has a September deadline, and could represent the biggest technical break between TikTok's US operations and its international business. The change is expected to impact how 170 million U.S. users access global content and how non-US creators make money on the platform. The new US-only app is designed to function independently, similar to Douyin — the version of TikTok available exclusively in mainland China. Users from outside the US will not find the American version in their app store, sources said. While current content is expected to migrate into the new app, it remains unclear to what degree new content from the global TikTok apps will be integrated into the US version. The new app is expected to use only data from US users to train its recommendation algorithms, further distancing it from TikTok's global systems, sources added. As a result, most users will be recommended content generated within the US. The push to separate TikTok's US app from its global platform has been underway for months, as ByteDance executives prepared various plans to prevent a ban of the app in the US, a move required by recently passed legislation over data security concerns. The future of the app used by nearly half of all Americans has been up in the air since a 2024 law, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, required ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19. Washington officials have said TikTok's ownership by ByteDance makes it beholden to the Chinese government, and Beijing could use the app to conduct influence operations against the US and collect data on Americans. After the first deadline and a brief moment of "going dark" in January, TikTok began moving non-US user data out of American data centres run by Oracle, ensuring only US user data remained on servers in the US, paving the way for separating US and international businesses, according to sources. The company has also been working on separating the codebase for its core algorithm since last year, a move first reported by Reuters and denied by the company at the time. Once the split is completed, the core technology and ongoing development will be managed separately from the global TikTok team, although some ByteDance employees could continue supporting TikTok US in an outsourced capacity, one of the sources added. This has raised internal concerns about whether the algorithm for the US will remain as effective in the long run as it is today, when TikTok can leverage ByteDance's global engineering talent and product expertise. The project comes as ByteDance faces continued political pressure in Washington to divest its business. A deal had been in the works this spring to spin off TikTok's US operations into a new US-based firm, but it was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods. If a sale is finalized, the new app is expected to be owned by a joint venture formed by an American investor consortium and ByteDance, which will maintain a minority stake. The consortium, which has emerged as the frontrunner, includes ByteDance's current shareholders Susquehanna International Group (SIG), General Atlantic, KKR, as well as new investors such as Blackstone and Andreessen Horowitz, Reuters previously reported. Oracle is also likely to take a stake. Still, it remains unclear whether Beijing has approved the plan to copy the algorithm or sell TikTok's US operations. During previous negotiations, Chinese authorities expressed strong reluctance to allow the export of TikTok's recommendation algorithm, widely seen as ByteDance's valuable asset and a key driver of its global popularity. In 2020, when the Trump administration first pushed for a sale of TikTok's US business, China updated its export control rules to cover technologies such as recommendation algorithms, effectively giving the government a say over any transfer. At the time, TikTok's management team rejected the plan of hiving off its US operations as detrimental to both users and the global network, according to people with knowledge of the decision. Now, the talks on TikTok's fate are also part of President Trump's broader trade negotiations with China over tariffs, sources said. Mr Trump said last week he would resume talks with China about a TikTok deal. While he said he was "not confident" about Beijing's approval, Trump added, "I think the deal is good for China and it's good for us."
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
TikTok prepares US app with its own algorithm and user data
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Over the past several months, TikTok employees have been working under tight deadlines to build a new, US-specific version of TikTok. NEW YORK - TikTok is preparing to launch a standalone app for US users that is expected to operate on a separate algorithm and data system from its global app, laying the groundwork for a potential sale orchestrated by US President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter. Over the past several months, TikTok employees have been working under tight deadlines to build a new, US-specific version of TikTok by transferring and duplicating the application's codebase – including AI models, algorithms, features, and user data – from the global platform, current employees at the company told Reuters, who requested anonymity while discussing private matters. The move could open the door to resolving years of debate over whether the company would share what is considered the crown jewel of the ByteDance-owned short video-sharing platform - the recommendation algorithm powering the Chinese-owned platform, which has been at the centre of the US-China technology stand-off. ByteDance and TikTok declined to comment. The initiative, known internally as 'M2', has a September deadline, and could represent the biggest technical break between TikTok's US operations and its international business. The change is expected to impact how 170 million US users access global content and how non-US creators make money on the platform. The new US-only app is designed to function independently, similar to Douyin – the version of TikTok available exclusively in mainland China. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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The Information first reported on the planned launch of the US TikTok app. While current content is expected to migrate into the new app, it remains unclear to what degree new content from the global TikTok apps will be integrated into the US version. The new app is expected to use only data from US users to train its recommendation algorithms, further distancing it from TikTok's global systems, sources added. As a result, most users will be recommended content generated within the US. Separation anxiety The push to separate TikTok's US app from its global platform has been underway for months, as ByteDance executives prepared various plans to prevent a ban of the app in the US, a move required by recently passed legislation over data security concerns. The future of the app used by nearly half of all Americans has been up in the air since a 2024 law, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, required ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19. Washington officials have said TikTok's ownership by ByteDance makes it beholden to the Chinese government, and Beijing could use the app to conduct influence operations against the US and collect data on Americans. After the first deadline and a brief moment of 'going dark' in January , TikTok began moving non-US user data out of American data centres run by Oracle, ensuring only US user data remained on servers in the US, paving the way for separating US and international businesses, according to sources. The company has also been working on separating the codebase for its core algorithm since 2024, a move first reported by Reuters and denied by the company at the time. Once the split is completed, the core technology and ongoing development will be managed separately from the global TikTok team, although some ByteDance employees could continue supporting TikTok US in an outsourced capacity, one of the sources added. This has raised internal concerns about whether the algorithm for the US will remain as effective in the long run as it is today, when TikTok can leverage ByteDance's global engineering talent and product expertise. The project comes as ByteDance faces continued political pressure in Washington to divest its US business. A deal had been in the works this spring to spin off TikTok's US operations into a new US-based firm, but it was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Mr Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods . If a sale is finalised, the new app is expected to be owned by a joint venture formed by an American investor consortium and ByteDance, which will maintain a minority stake. The consortium, which has emerged as the frontrunner, includes ByteDance's current shareholders Susquehanna International Group (SIG), General Atlantic, KKR, as well as new investors such as Blackstone and Andreessen Horowitz, Reuters previously reported. Oracle is also likely to take a stake. Still, it remains unclear whether Beijing has approved the plan to copy the algorithm or sell TikTok's US operations. During previous negotiations, Chinese authorities expressed strong reluctance to allow the export of TikTok's recommendation algorithm, widely seen as ByteDance's valuable asset and a key driver of its global popularity. In 2020, when the Trump administration first pushed for a sale of TikTok's US. business, China updated its export control rules to cover technologies such as recommendation algorithms, effectively giving the government a say over any transfer. At the time, TikTok's management team rejected the plan of hiving off its US operations as detrimental to both users and the global network, according to people with knowledge of the decision. Now, the talks on TikTok's fate are also part of President Trump's broader trade negotiations with China over tariffs, sources said. Mr Trump said last week he would resume talks with China about a TikTok deal. While he said he was 'not confident' about Beijing's approval, Mr Trump added, 'I think the deal is good for China, and it's good for us.' REUTERS
Business Insider
07-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
TikTok's owner has plans to move US users to a new version of CapCut, the popular video-editing app
Americans may need to download a new version of CapCut to keep using its video-editing tools. The app's owner, ByteDance, has laid out plans to split US users into a new version of CapCut called "CapCut US," according to documentation viewed by Business Insider. Setting up a US-specific app could be part of a broader plan to comply with a 2024 law that required ByteDance to separate from TikTok and its other US assets or essentially cease operating in the country. ByteDance is similarly planning to create a separate US version of TikTok, The Information reported on Sunday. The plan to split out a US version of CapCut suggests the company may be making a broader push to separate itself from the US beyond a TikTok sale. While US users, influencers, and marketers have rallied to try to save TikTok this year, CapCut has also become a key tool for professional creators — and everyday social media users — who turn to the app for viral video templates and other editing features. CapCut has been downloaded over 1 billion times on the Google Play store, and it's currently the top photo and video app in Apple's US app store, outranking Instagram and YouTube in the category. BI was not able to determine whether ByteDance plans to make US replicas of other apps it owns, such as its Instagram-style app Lemon8 or its education app Gauth, all of which are subject to the same divestment requirements as TikTok and CapCut. ByteDance has spent a little over a year wrestling with how to respond to the 2024 divest-or-ban law. The company initially challenged the law in court but lost its case in the Supreme Court in January. President Donald Trump then granted it a lifeline, instructing his attorney general not to enforce the law while his administration tries to negotiate a TikTok sale. Several bidders have emerged for TikTok, including AI company Perplexity and ad tech firm AppLovin. TikTok may ultimately sell to a group of US investors who, combined, could acquire a large enough stake to meet the law's divestment requirements. Trump told Fox News in late June that he was backing a bid from a group of "very wealthy people." He told reporters on Friday that discussions with China around a potential sale could begin this week. Any deal around TikTok would require approval from both the US and China. Even if ByteDance gets the green light from both Trump and the Chinese government to split off from its apps in the US, many questions remain. Would US-only versions of CapCut or TikTok still include videos and templates from non-US users? Would the owner of the US apps have access to ByteDance's algorithms? And will separate US apps satisfy the national security concerns that originally pushed Congress to pass a divestment law targeting the company? ByteDance may also face obstacles in getting Americans to download new versions of its apps as competitors like YouTube have released similar features for their users. Meta released a CapCut-like app called Edits in April, which ranks 16th among US photo and video apps in Apple's rankings.
