Social Media and Online Dating

• TikTok has signed binding agreements to sell a controlling stake in its U.S. business to a consortium of investors — including Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX — forming a new U.S. joint venture to run the platform’s American operations. 

• The new company, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, will be majority-American owned, with U.S. data storage, content moderation and algorithm security overseen domestically to satisfy national security requirements and avoid a U.S. ban.

• ByteDance will retain a minority stake under U.S. law, with the transaction expected to close by January 22, 2026, ending years of regulatory uncertainty and legislative pressure. 

TikTok, the massively popular short-video platform used by more than 170 million Americans, has signed binding agreements to divest a controlling share of its U.S. business to a consortium of predominantly American and allied investors, according to various media reports. 

The deal, announced internally to employees Thursday and expected to be completed by January 22, 2026, creates a new entity — TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC — that will operate TikTok’s U.S. platform under heightened oversight of data security, content moderation and algorithm governance. 

The reported deal would secure TikTok’s presence in the U.S. after Congress passed legislation to ban it unless its China-based owner relinquished control.

New ownership structure

Under the terms of the agreement:

• A group led by Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will collectively hold roughly 50 % of the new U.S. venture’s equity. 

• ByteDance, TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, will retain a 19.9 % stake — the cap permitted under U.S. foreign-ownership restrictions — while existing ByteDance investors will hold about 30.1 %. 

A majority-American board of directors will govern the U.S. entity, and Oracle is set to serve as a trusted security partner responsible for storing U.S. user data on local infrastructure. 

Addressing national security concerns 

The restructuring directly responds to bipartisan U.S. concerns that TikTok’s Chinese ownership could pose risks to national security and user privacy — arguments that have propelled legislative and regulatory action for years. Under a 2024 law, commonly known as the divest-or-ban requirement, TikTok faced a potential nationwide prohibition unless it severed control by its foreign parent company. 

As part of the new arrangement, TikTok’s recommendation algorithm will be retrained on U.S. user data to further insulate it from foreign influence — a major sticking point throughout negotiations. 

The finalized deal closes a chapter of uncertainty for TikTok in the U.S., where the app has been intermittently threatened with removal since national security concerns first bubbled into public view more than five years ago. Previous presidential administrations and Congress have repeatedly pushed for divestiture, leading to multiple deadline extensions and intense negotiation between Washington and Beijing.

• ⏳ President Trump extends TikTok’s U.S. deadline by 75 days, citing “tremendous progress” in talks to save the app from a national ban.

• 🇨🇳 A finalized deal to localize TikTok under U.S. ownership was derailed after Trump’s latest tariff hike on China.

• 💼 ByteDance says key issues remain unresolved, and any agreement must receive Chinese government approval.

President Trump on Friday announced a 75-day extension for TikTok to remain operational in the United States, delaying a potential ban on the wildly popular video app while talks continue on a deal to bring its U.S. operations under American control.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his administration was making “tremendous progress” and emphasized that it does “not want TikTok to ‘go dark.’” He added that officials are working closely with Chinese counterparts to reach a resolution.

Behind the scenes, a deal had reportedly been finalized earlier this week, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The plan would have spun off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new, American-owned company, with majority control by U.S. investors and a minority stake retained by ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company.

Derailed by tariffs

However, those plans were derailed Thursday after Trump announced a 34% increase in tariffs on Chinese goods, part of a broader push for reciprocal trade policies. In response, ByteDance informed the White House that Beijing would not approve the deal under current conditions, stalling the agreement.

In a rare public statement, ByteDance confirmed it had been in discussions with Washington over a potential solution but said “key matters remain to be resolved” and any final agreement would require approval under Chinese law.

Trump hinted that his tariff policy is being used as leverage in the negotiations, calling tariffs “the most powerful Economic tool” and crucial to “our National Security.”

The reprieve provides temporary relief for TikTok’s millions of U.S. users and creators, but the platform’s future remains uncertain as geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing once again take center stage.

In brief ...

• 📱 AppLovin submits bid for TikTok, pitching its AI capabilities and economic potential to the Trump administration.

• 🎰 Casino mogul Steve Wynn was approached to help back the bid, as Washington pushes for a U.S.-led acquisition.

• 🇨🇳 Beijing’s approval remains a key hurdle, amid escalating U.S.-China tensions and looming tariff announcements.

With the U.S. government’s April 5 deadline to either sell or shut down TikTok rapidly approaching, a new suitor has entered the fray: mobile tech powerhouse AppLovin, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The $100 billion company has reportedly made a bid for the video-sharing giant and held discussions with casino magnate Steve Wynn about providing financial backing, according to people familiar with the matter.

AppLovin, known for its powerful artificial intelligence that helps tailor ads and analyze user behavior, is positioning itself as a domestic solution to national security concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership. The company claims it could not only protect user data but also spur economic growth by creating jobs in the U.S.

Meanwhile, President Trump is expected to be briefed Wednesday on a framework to keep TikTok operational under American oversight.

Growing list of bidders

AppLovin joins a growing list of bidders. Oracle, in partnership with U.S. investors such as Silver Lake and Blackstone, is preparing a competing offer. Amazon also submitted a last-minute bid, according to sources, though insiders suggest the White House doesn’t see it as likely to move forward. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.

While the White House seeks a resolution to its TikTok standoff, Chinese officials have signaled conditional openness to a deal. However, sources say Beijing views TikTok’s fate as one of several issues to negotiate with Washington—alongside Trump’s upcoming tariff proposals, also expected to be announced Wednesday.

Details of how TikTok would operate under a new ownership structure remain unclear, but sources say those decisions will likely follow once a deal framework is finalized.

Social media has provided a platform for users to show off what they’ve recently purchased. So-called influencers have played a big role in that trend.

But a new trend may be emerging. Over the last five years, many people on social media have posted videos talking about what they aren’t buying.

The Wall Street Journal reports the movement may be reaching critical mass, with the label “No Buy 2025.” More and more people on social media are pledging not to buy anything but essentials this year. They’re getting encouragement from videos like the one below, describing how it works.

Breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle

The objective is not to unnecessarily deprive yourself. Rather, it’s to save money by cutting spending on things you don’t really need – many of which are hawked relentlessly on social media. Many people have found they no longer live paycheck to paycheck.

“We are spending so much less money, it’s crazy,” Rachel Holdsworth, a part-time nurse and stay-at-home mom from Indiana, told the Journal. “It’s been very empowering to live within our means.” 

 Marcus Sturdivant Sr., a Charlotte, N.C., financial advisor, thinks stating a goal like “No Buy 2025” out loud is not a bad idea.

“Stating one's goals out loud and telling others increases accountability and follow-through,” he told ConsumerAffairs. “This is usually a 12-month challenge so give yourself some grace if you fall off the no-buy wagon and purchase something. Some latitude is important in any financial goal.”

Sturdivant says choosing an “accountability buddy,” someone else with the same goal, may improve chances for success. He also says there is no need for what may be unrealistric goals. He suggests a “No Buy February 2025 to start.