TikTok says it has finalized a deal that keeps the app operating in the United States under a newly formed entity often described as TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. Under widely reported terms, major investors such as Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX each hold 15% stakes, while ByteDance retains 19.9%, with the remaining ownership split among other investors.
On paper, the arrangement is meant to satisfy the “divest-or-ban” logic of the 2024 law and related national security requirements. In practice, it opens a new chapter—and a long list of unresolved questions for users, advertisers, lawmakers, and rivals.
Below are the biggest unanswered questions that still matter—even after the headlines about “new ownership.”
1) Who controls the algorithm—really?
For most people, TikTok is the “For You” feed. Control over recommendation systems is the real power: what trends, what disappears, what gets amplified, and what gets quietly downranked.
A key concern raised by policy analysts is whether ByteDance still retains meaningful influence over the algorithm or its evolution, even if US ownership is “majority” on paper. If the algorithm remains dependent on ByteDance engineering, updates, training data, or model governance, then the core risk debate is not actually settled.
Unanswered: Is the algorithm owned, operated, and updated independently in the US entity—or is it still functionally tied to ByteDance?
2) What does “no operational relationship” mean in real life?
Reporting about the governing law emphasizes a requirement that ByteDance have no operational relationship with the US entity. But “operational” can be interpreted narrowly or broadly—especially for software platforms where the line between “ownership,” “maintenance,” and “operations” gets blurry.
Unanswered: What activities are explicitly prohibited (engineering support, moderation tooling, incident response, policy setting)? Who audits compliance—and how often?
3) Data security: what changed beyond “Oracle cloud”?
TikTok and supporters of the new structure point to data localization and security controls, frequently referencing Oracle’s role and code/data review practices that resemble earlier “Project Texas” style safeguards.
But critics argue the key question isn’t only where data is stored—it’s who can access it, under what circumstances, and whether governance is verifiable to outside parties.
Unanswered: What are the access rules, the exception pathways, and the audit results? Are independent reports public or only shared with regulators?
4) Content moderation and censorship: glitch, policy, or influence?
Almost immediately after the new US entity began operating, users reported suspicious behavior: suppressed political content, keyword oddities, and technical disruptions. Some outlets described censorship concerns and tied them to the new ownership context, while the company pointed to outages and operational issues.
Even if every incident has an innocent explanation, the perception problem is real: users will attribute moderation shifts to new corporate or political incentives.
Unanswered: Did moderation policies change? Did enforcement tooling change? And will TikTok publish transparency reports that meaningfully compare “before vs. after”?
5) Privacy policy: did permissions expand—and why now?
Reports also highlight worries about privacy and data collection terms shifting in ways that feel more “Big Tech standard,” but still unsettling given TikTok’s history of scrutiny.
Unanswered: What specific data categories are newly collected, how long are they retained, and what “business necessity” justifies the changes?
6) Governance: who sits on the board, and who holds veto power?
TikTok’s own USDS JV site lists leadership and security committee roles, which signals a formal governance structure.
But governance isn’t just names on a page—it’s voting rights, veto mechanisms, escalation paths, and who ultimately overrides whom in a crisis.
Unanswered: Who controls security decisions, algorithm changes, and high-impact moderation disputes? Is there any “golden share” or special rights arrangement?
7) What about the other ByteDance apps included in the deal?
TikTok’s announcement indicates the safeguards extend beyond TikTok itself to other products like CapCut and Lemon8 in the US.
Unanswered: Do those apps share infrastructure, identity systems, or analytics pipelines? Are they governed identically—or is TikTok treated as the only “high scrutiny” property?
8) Regulatory durability: is this settled—or politically reversible?
This topic remains politically charged. The law, enforcement timelines, executive actions, and public messaging have shifted across administrations and court fights.
Unanswered: Could a future administration or Congress challenge the deal’s sufficiency? What triggers a review, and what would “non-compliance” look like?
Bottom line
TikTok’s “new ownership” may reduce certain headline risks, but it also introduces fresh uncertainty: algorithm independence, operational separation, transparency, and trust. Until the platform provides verifiable proof—not just structural claims—many of these questions will remain open for users and brands deciding whether to lean in or diversify.
