President Donald Trump is weighing a controversial proposal that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. while its powerful algorithm remains under the control of its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
The Washington Post reports that President Donald Trump is considering a plan to prevent TikTok from being banned in the U.S. that would allow the popular video app’s Chinese owner ByteDance to retain ownership of the critical algorithm powering its content recommendations. The proposal, one of several options being examined by the White House ahead of a Saturday deadline, would have U.S. investors increase their stake in TikTok while ByteDance continues to control the algorithm through a leasing arrangement.
The algorithm has been at the heart of national security concerns over TikTok, with critics warning it could allow China to influence what American users see on the app. Trump has until Saturday to approve a deal that would transfer TikTok’s U.S. operations to American buyers or the app will face a nationwide ban under legislation passed by Congress last year.
During a White House meeting on Wednesday, Trump discussed the TikTok issue with top officials including Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, national security adviser Michael Waltz and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Neither ByteDance nor the Chinese government has indicated if they would accept such an arrangement involving the prized algorithm.
The plan aligns with Trump’s stated desire to “save TikTok” for its estimated 170 million U.S. users, many of whom are part of his political base. But it risks backlash from China hawks in his own Republican party who want a complete separation between the U.S. version of TikTok and ByteDance. Some legal experts also question whether the leasing proposal would satisfy the requirements of the ban-or-sale law.
Other options under consideration include a restructuring similar to the previously rejected “Project Texas” framework, where U.S. tech company Oracle would store American user data and review the algorithm. Oracle or another investor could potentially take a minority ownership stake in this scenario as well.
Several prominent investors have expressed interest in a TikTok deal in recent months, such as former LA Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, Shark Tank personality Kevin O’Leary, and entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley. Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz is also reportedly involved in investment talks.
Trump has suggested using a TikTok sale as leverage in broader economic negotiations with China, floating the idea of reducing tariffs on Chinese goods if an agreement is reached. With the deadline fast approaching, the president must now balance the competing priorities of accommodating TikTok’s passionate American fan base and addressing the app’s perceived threats to national security.
Read more at the Washington Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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