Marketplace All-in-One TikTok set to sell US assets
Dec 19, 2025
Surinjana Tiwari, a BBC Asia business correspondent, provides insightful analysis on TikTok's recent deal to sell its U.S. assets to an American-led joint venture. The conversation reveals how this divestment helps circumvent a potential U.S. ban while maintaining ByteDance's considerable stake. Surinjana delves into the implications for national security and the uncertainties surrounding TikTok's valuation and algorithm licensing. Additionally, she briefly touches on global economic headlines, including a substantial EU loan to Ukraine amid ongoing conflict.
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US Sale Eases National Security Standoff
- TikTok's US assets will be sold to a joint venture led by American investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX.
- ByteDance will keep nearly a 20% stake while the investor group holds the majority, addressing US ownership concerns.
Security Fears Drove Ownership Demand
- US lawmakers fear Chinese access to user data and potential manipulation of feeds, which ByteDance and TikTok deny.
- The law effectively required change of ownership for US operations to continue operating in the country.
Algorithm Licensing Is The Hard Part
- The algorithm remains a major unresolved issue because licensing such core technology is unprecedented and technically complex.
- Negotiations earlier this year discussed licensing the algorithm but practical details of how that would work remain unclear.