The White House has announced a significant agreement that will give American companies control over TikTok’s algorithm and place six Americans on the seven-member board overseeing the app’s U.S. operations. This deal, which aims to address national security concerns, marks a pivotal shift for the popular social media platform owned by China’s ByteDance.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed on September 20, 2025, that the deal is nearly finalized, with signatures expected in the coming days. Speaking to Fox News, Leavitt emphasized that the agreement prioritizes American interests: “This deal means that TikTok will be majority-owned by Americans in the United States. Six of the seven seats on the board that controls the app in the United States will be Americans.” She added that Oracle, a major U.S. tech company led by Larry Ellison, will oversee TikTok’s data and privacy operations in the U.S. and control the algorithm that curates content for its 170 million American users.
The deal follows years of tension over TikTok’s ownership. U.S. officials have long expressed concerns that ByteDance could share user data with the Chinese government or allow Beijing to manipulate the app’s algorithm, posing a national security threat. In early 2024, a bipartisan law signed by then-President Joe Biden mandated that ByteDance divest TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban. The app was briefly shut down in January 2025 but was quickly reinstated as President Donald Trump issued executive orders to delay the ban, extending the deadline most recently to December 2025.
President Trump, who initially sought to ban TikTok during his first term in 2020, has shifted his stance after leveraging the platform to connect with young voters during his successful 2024 campaign. On September 19, 2025, Trump announced that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a “productive” phone call approving the deal, though Beijing has not officially confirmed this. China’s Commerce Ministry issued a statement on September 20, noting that it “respects the wishes of the enterprise” and encourages negotiations that comply with Chinese laws and balance interests.
A key issue in the negotiations was the ownership of TikTok’s algorithm, which drives the app’s personalized content recommendations. While Trump avoided directly addressing whether a new algorithm would be built or the existing one used, Leavitt confirmed that the U.S. will control it, ensuring American oversight. Oracle’s involvement is notable, given Larry Ellison’s status as a Trump ally and one of the world’s richest individuals. His son, David Ellison, recently acquired Paramount, further solidifying the Ellison family’s influence in American media.
Leavitt expressed confidence in the deal, stating, “We are 100% confident that a deal is done. Now, that deal just needs to be signed.” Trump echoed this optimism, noting that the investors involved are “very well-known people, very famous people actually, financially,” though their identities remain undisclosed. He also credited TikTok’s young user base for contributing to his 2024 election victory, saying, “I wasn’t a fan of TikTok, and then I got to use it, and I became a fan, and it helped me win the election in a landslide.”
The agreement represents a compromise to keep TikTok operational in the U.S. while addressing security concerns. However, questions remain about the specifics, including who the American board members will be and how the algorithm’s control will be implemented. As the deal moves toward finalization, it could reshape TikTok’s future in the U.S. and set a precedent for managing foreign-owned tech platforms.
