Oracle to oversee TikTok’s US operations:US Prez Trump to sign company’s ownership deal with counterpart XI this week, says White House

The White House has announced that a deal ensuring the security and continued operations of the popular social media platform TikTok in the United States is set to be signed by the US President Donald Trump later this week. The agreement aims to address concerns over data security and foreign influence, placing the popular social media platform under stringent US oversight. Oracle to store TikTok’s data in American servers, ensuring national security: WH White House Press Secretary Karolina Levitte stated that TikTok will be majority-owned by American investors and governed by a board with expertise in national security and cybersecurity. Oracle will serve as the trusted security provider, independently monitoring data security for US users. All US user data will be stored on Oracle-operated servers within the United States, protected from foreign surveillance, particularly from China. TikTok will be owned by a majority of American investors: Levitte “Under the terms of this deal, TikTok will be owned by a majority of American investors and controlled by a board of directors with extensive national security and cybersecurity credentials.” Levitte said. A key component of the agreement involves retraining TikTok’s algorithm within the US, independent of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. This measure seeks to further safeguard against potential manipulation or influence. Despite these changes, TikTok will remain globally interoperable, allowing users in the US to view content from users in other countries and vice versa. The White House projects significant economic benefits from the deal, estimating that businesses using TikTok could generate up to $178 billion in economic activity within the US over the next four years. US will have ‘tight control’ over the app: Trump President Trump previously indicated that Chinese President Xi Jinping had approved the deal. The agreement follows legislation passed in April 2024 that threatened to ban TikTok from January 19, 2025, if ByteDance did not divest its ownership. Albeit, the Trump administration has not yet enforced the ban.