Trump to Certify Oracle TikTok Algorithm Deal

The Trump administration unveiled a proposed deal under which Oracle would receive and oversee a licensed copy of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm and its security functions, while a U.S.-based joint venture—backed by Oracle, Silver Lake and potential U.S. investors including Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, Larry Ellison and Michael Dell—would control TikTok’s American operations with ByteDance retaining under 20%. Oracle would audit, host and retrain the algorithm on U.S. data and ensure American user data is stored on U.S. infrastructure to address national-security concerns about Chinese influence. The White House said President Trump will sign an executive order certifying the framework meets a 2024 law that required divestiture or a ban, and officials have discussed multibillion‑dollar valuations, potential fees and a grace period that could push final divestment into next year. Administration officials expressed confidence Beijing had agreed to the framework, but Chinese regulators have not always formally confirmed approval and the transaction still needs regulatory sign‑offs on both sides. The U.S. government says it will not take a golden share or a board seat, and if completed the transaction would likely keep TikTok operating for roughly 170 million U.S. users, though retraining and governance details will determine how much ByteDance’s influence over recommendations is removed.