A complicated TikTok deal just struck shows American and Chinese interests can work together, after all.

The US unit of the social media group will now have its user data and the algorithm secured in Oracle’s US cloud environment….instead of in China.

President Trump had given the US arm of the group until January 23 (after a series of delays) to come up with a deal …or shut down. So negotiators apparently cut it fine a few times.

The US government acted as primary broker for the deal.

The world has been cutting it fine for decades on climate negotiations.

For me, this and Trump’s talks with European leaders at Davos this week about his Greenland request ….offer hope of a global deal for tech, security, trade AND climate.

To be clearer:

Half of the world’s trade is now digital/ services and that is why this TikTok deal is somewhat of a beacon of hope.

I’m frankly shocked that America has adopted the Chinese system of propagandizing its population. (For instance, most Americans fail to realise how responsible they are for ruining the world’s climate. Yes, yes I know the climate crisis could have been even worse.)

Yet, here we are.

The American government essentially moved TikTok from a “foreign adversary-controlled” app to a “U.S.-regulated utility.”

It didn’t take an ownership stake itself, but it created a structure where the company cannot make major moves without federal oversight.

👉 TikTok USDS (US Data Security) Joint Venture LLC — this is the official company name of the new joint venture created to operate TikTok’s U.S. business and meet U.S. regulatory and data-security requirements.

Making virtual business into something that has a physical home …a digital services headquarters if you like … could help lift a WTO moratorium on placing tariffs on digital trade set to expire in March.

In other words this new type of company may give countries a new way to regulate, tax or add tariffs to social media and digital services revenues (in my dreams) because it assigns virtual things to a physical location.

This may force sharing on tech and climate in a similar way to Trump’s insisting on more security spending.

Yet climate security is still security….tech security is still security.

I’m riffing a bit …but ….will icy Greenland become a haven for giant, hot US server warehouses ?

The TikTok deal agreed the following (Gemini):

The governments of both the United States and China gave approval for the new joint venture structure as part of the agreement that allows TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. rather than being banned under U.S. law.

This means Beijing had to formally consent to the transfer of control over key parts of TikTok’s U.S. operations out of ByteDance’s sole ownership. (ChatGPT)

Now…given these complications were sorted and some of the solutions are militaristic, there must be a chance to curb global (mainly US) violent culture … reduce toxic political rhetoric ….rebalance physical, as well as digital, trade … and …meet sustainable development goals …under Trump’s Board of Peace? Or under the UN?

China would not abandon the UN like Trump has, I would have thought.

(More to come)

Grok:

The TikTok US deal was officially finalized and closed on January 22, 2026 (yesterday, from your current time in the UK), just ahead of the January 23 deadline set by President Trump’s executive order. This wraps up years of national security negotiations, avoiding a full US ban on the app for its 200+ million American users.

Here’s a breakdown of the key details from the announcements and reports:

• Structure: ByteDance (TikTok’s Chinese parent) spun off its US operations into a new independent entity called TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC (often shortened to USDS JV or TikTok USDS). This JV handles US user data, the app, the recommendation algorithm, and most operations in the US, with strong safeguards for data privacy, cybersecurity, content moderation, and algorithm security.
• Ownership Breakdown:
• US and global investors hold the majority stake (~80.1%).
• ByteDance retains a minority stake of 19.9% (or just under 20%).
• Major investors include:
  • Oracle (15%)
  • Silver Lake (private equity firm, 15%)
  • MGX (Abu Dhabi-based AI-focused investment firm, 15%)
• Other participants: Dell Family Office (Michael Dell’s investment firm), and mentions of affiliates from existing ByteDance investors holding additional portions (around 30% in some breakdowns, with the rest filled by smaller/new investors like Susquehanna, TPG, etc.).
• Leadership:
• CEO: Adam Presser (TikTok veteran, previously head of operations, trust & safety, and US data security efforts).
• Board: Seven-member, majority-American board. Includes TikTok global CEO Shou Chew (as a director), reps from Silver Lake (e.g., co-CEO Egon Durban), Oracle, and others like MGX, TPG, Susquehanna, DXC Technology.
• Other key role: Will Farrell as Chief Security Officer (overseeing privacy/security).
• Key Protections & Operations:
• US user data and the algorithm are secured in Oracle’s US cloud environment.
• The JV will retrain/test/update the content recommendation algorithm using only US user data.
• Comprehensive measures for data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurances — all aimed at addressing concerns about potential Chinese government access.
• ByteDance keeps influence in areas like global e-commerce and ads, but US ops are now majority non-Chinese controlled.
• Background & Timeline:
• Stemmed from a 2024 US law requiring ByteDance to divest US assets or face a ban.
• Trump administration facilitated/approved it last fall, with multiple deadline extensions.
• Binding agreements signed in December 2025; US and China governments gave final sign-off.
• No major changes for users right now — the app stays available as-is (no forced new downloads for most), and it’s business as usual outside the US (including in the UK).

The deal’s valued TikTok’s US business at roughly $14 billion in some reports. It’s seen as a geopolitical win for keeping the platform running while loosening direct Chinese ties.