TikTok finalizes deal to keep operating in U.S.
The deal concludes a yearslong battle over U.S. access to the popular app.
January 22, 2026, 6:28 PM
(ABC) -- TikTok said Thursday it completed the deal to spin off its U.S. operations -- concluding a yearslong battle over access to the wildly popular video app for millions of Americans.
In a press release, TikTok said the new U.S. joint venture "will operate under defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurances for U.S. users."
As part of the new joint venture, tech giant Oracle, UAE-based MGX and tech investment firm Silver Lake will each own a 15% take. The app's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, will retain a 19.9% stake in the venture.
This move means TikTok will remain available to the 200 million users it claims across the U.S.
In 2024, Congress passed a law with broad bipartisan support requiring TikTok to divest from ByteDance or risk a ban in the U.S, citing national security concerns. That law was upheld by the Supreme Court.
TikTok went offline to U.S. users for 14 hours in January 2025 -- before President Trump said he would order the Justice Department to delay implementing the law.
The TikTok press release says the joint venture will also cover other apps in the ByteDance portfolio, including CapCut and Lemon8.
