TikTok prepares to launch US-specific app, as Trump pushes for sale
The US version is expected to use its own algorithm, resolving the issue of whether China’s ByteDance will share its crown jewel
TikTok is preparing to launch a stand-alone app for US users that is expected to operate on a separate algorithm and data system from its global app, laying the groundwork for a potential sale orchestrated by US President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.
Over the past several months, TikTok employees have been working under tight deadlines to build a new, US-specific version of TikTok by transferring and duplicating the application’s codebase – including AI models, algorithms, features, and user data – from the global platform, according to current employees at the company, who requested anonymity while discussing private matters.
The move could open the door to resolving years of debate over whether the company would share what is considered the crown jewel of the ByteDance-owned short video-sharing platform – the recommendation algorithm powering the Chinese-owned platform, which has been at the centre of the US-China technology stand-off.
ByteDance and TikTok declined to comment.
The initiative, known internally as “M2”, has a September deadline, and could represent the biggest technical break between TikTok’s US operations and its international business.
The change is expected to impact how 170 million US users access global content and how non-US creators make money on the platform.