TikTok's Big Change: What's Happening in the U. S. ?

TikTok, the popular video-sharing app owned by China's ByteDance, has been in hot water with the U. S. government for a while. The main worry? User data might be at risk. Recently, a big deal was struck. A group of American investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, will now control a big chunk of TikTok's U. S. operations. ByteDance will keep a smaller share. This deal comes after a lot of back-and-forth and legal battles. The U. S. government has been pushing for this change since 2020. They wanted TikTok's U. S. operations to be sold to an American company. Oracle will play a key role in keeping data secure. They'll audit and ensure compliance with national security terms. The deal was supposed to close in January 2026, but things might move faster now.Users in the U. S. might need to switch to a new platform once the deal is finalized. But don't worry, the app won't disappear overnight. The new platform's details are still unclear, though. TikTok has always denied being a security threat, saying their data stored in the U. S. follows all local laws. This whole situation started when former President Trump signed an executive order to ban transactions with ByteDance. Later, his administration tried to force a sale of TikTok's U. S. operations. Several companies, including Microsoft and Walmart, were in the running. But a U. S. judge temporarily blocked the ban, allowing TikTok to keep operating. Things got more complicated in 2024. Trump wanted a 50-50 ownership arrangement between ByteDance and a U. S. company. Several groups showed interest, including The People's Bid for TikTok and the American Investor Consortium. Other contenders included Amazon, Microsoft, and even former U. S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.