Oracle will fully recreate TikTok’s recommendation algorithm for the U.S. market as part of a pending sale of the app’s American operations to a group of U.S. investors, according to a Bloomberg report. The move is part of a high-stakes effort to address national security concerns linked to the Chinese-owned platform.
The proposed deal, backed by the White House, would see ByteDance lease a copy of the original algorithm to the new U.S.-based TikTok entity. Oracle would then “retrain” the algorithm from scratch to ensure it operates independently of Chinese control. A White House official confirmed the plan aims to prevent potential influence or surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party, which critics believe could exploit the app for propaganda or censorship.
The recommendation algorithm—central to TikTok’s global success—uses AI to personalize content feeds and keep users engaged. Lawmakers in Washington have long argued that the Chinese government could manipulate this algorithm to shape narratives or monitor user behavior. Entrusting Oracle with rebuilding it signals a strategic shift toward U.S. data sovereignty in the digital age.
China experts like Peter Schweizer have warned that TikTok’s codebase may not be an ordinary business asset but a “state secret.” In his book Blood Money, Schweizer details ByteDance’s research ties with Chinese intelligence, framing the app as a psychological weapon aimed at weakening Western societies.
ByteDance has already faced international pressure, having lost access to the Indian market due to similar security concerns. The company now appears ready to make concessions in its most profitable market, the United States.
While details remain limited, the plan would allow TikTok to remain operational in the U.S. under American ownership, with its algorithm rebuilt and secured on U.S. soil—cut off from Beijing’s reach.
