Donald Trump signs executive order paving way for U.S. controlled TikTok
Washington : President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order outlining a proposed restructuring of TikTok’s U.S. operations, significantly reducing Chinese ownership and placing control in the hands of American investors closely aligned with the administration.
Under the plan, China’s ByteDance would retain only a 20% stake in the newly formed U.S. entity, while the majority would be held by a consortium of investors including Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
“The proposed divestiture would allow the millions of Americans who enjoy TikTok every day to continue using it while also protecting national security,” Trump said during a signing ceremony at the White House. The order affects TikTok’s estimated 170 million users in the United States.
While the investor group includes prominent Trump allies, the president emphasized that the platform would remain politically neutral. “If I could make it 100 percent MAGA I would, but it’s not going to work out that way unfortunately,” he told reporters. “Every group, every philosophy, every policy will be treated very fairly.”
The revamped U.S. version of TikTok is expected to feature a domestically developed version of the app’s proprietary algorithm—often referred to as its “secret sauce”—which has been credited with fueling TikTok’s rapid global growth. A White House official said the algorithm would be “continuously monitored” to prevent undue influence.
The move follows legislation enacted during President Joe Biden’s term, which required ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban.
Trump confirmed that Chinese President Xi Jinping had approved the deal during a recent phone call. “I have great respect for President Xi, and I very much appreciate that he approved the deal,” Trump said. “To get it done properly, we really needed the support of China.”
TikTok has not issued a public response, and Chinese officials have remained largely silent. However, following the Trump-Xi call, state broadcaster CCTV reported that Xi expressed support for market-based negotiations that comply with Chinese law.
