A deal to save TikTok in the US is in the works. But an algorithm rewrite and vague deal details leaves more questions than answers

(Image credit: Cheng Xin / Getty Images)

A deal to save TikTok is in the works, according to White House officials – but a potential agreement to license and rewrite the TikTok algorithm is leaving more questions than answers for both content creators and the app’s 170 million Americans who pass the time watching vertical videos.

After President Donald Trump discussed a TikTok deal on social media last week, a White House official has now indicated that a deal to keep the video platform available in the US is in the works and is expected to be signed “in the coming days.”

The potential deal would keep American user data in the US and place the majority of ownership with a variety of US investors, including Oracle, Andreesen Horowitz, and Silver Lake. Around 20 percent would still be owned by investors based in China. A board of directors is expected to have 6 US-based representatives and one from China.

The changes would also include licensing the original TikTok algorithm – and retraining it with US user data. That has both fans of the app and content creators earning a living on the platform with a long list of questions as to what, exactly, the US version of TikTok may look like moving forward, if the deal is, in fact, inked by both sides.

It’s unclear if the rewritten algorithm would require deleting the original TikTok and downloading a second US version. How much would a rewritten algorithm change what videos are delivered and how much reach a single video receives? Would a TikTok app overseen by a board of government-selected officials and re-written on US data have the ability to suppress some types of content on TikTok and propel others?

The deal also hasn’t made any mention of ByteDance’s other apps, including the popular video editor CapCut.

The deal hasn’t yet been signed by both sides, nor have the full terms of the deal been shared. Trump is expected to share an executive order with more detailed terms later this week, and the White House has indicated that the deadline could be extended for another 120 days to allow the deal to take place.

TikTok owner ByteDance has often been silent amid the recurring rumors and reports of a buyer that have surfaced since the initial ban in January and extension of the deadline for a sale. But, last week, the company released a statement, saying simply: “We thank President Xi Jinping and President Donald J. Trump for their efforts to preserve TikTok in the United States. ByteDance will work in accordance with applicable laws to ensure TikTok remains available to American users through TikTok US.”

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