New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) The United States and China are inching toward a breakthrough that could finally end months of speculation over the future of TikTok, the wildly popular short-video platform used by more than 170 million Americans.
Under a draft plan now taking shape, control of TikTok’s U.S. operations will pass to an American-led consortium, trimming the role of Chinese parent company ByteDance to a small minority stake.
A new board made up largely of U.S. citizens would steer the company’s business decisions, while all American user data and the platform’s powerful recommendation system would be managed strictly on U.S. soil.
Taking a new step in further developments, President Donald Trump confirmed yesterday that several prominent tech and media figures are set to back the deal.
Among them are Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle; Michael Dell, chief executive of Dell Technologies; and Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corporation. Their participation is expected to provide the financial muscle and technical expertise needed to execute the transfer.
While giving an interview to Fox News, the US President said, “ You know, they’re very well-known people. And Larry Ellison is one of them. He’s involved. He’s a great guy. Michael Dell is involved. I hate to tell you this, but a man named Lachlan is involved.”
Moreover, reports also indicated that Rupert Murdoch (Australian-American Business Magnate) will also be part of the negotiations.
The agreement is designed to prevent a ban mandated by the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFCA), a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2024. PAFCA prohibits the distribution of apps deemed a national security threat if they are owned or controlled by companies from countries designated as foreign adversaries. The legislation specifically identified ByteDance and TikTok, demanding that the Chinese parent divest its American arm or face a nationwide shutdown.
Now, negotiators on both sides see the emerging deal as a practical way forward: the U.S. gains oversight of data and algorithmic control, while China retains a limited stake in a global tech success story.
If finalized, the agreement would keep TikTok available to millions of American creators and viewers, while offering a rare example of cooperation between the world’s two largest economies at a time of strained relations.
