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Facing pressure from Washington, TikTok plots an American spin-off 🇺🇸📱

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Under pressure from U.S. lawmakers, TikTok may soon take on a completely new form stateside. A revamped version of the app is reportedly in the works, with U.S.-based servers and an entirely restructured ownership model.

Countdown to September 2025 ⏳

TikTok, the go-to social platform for Gen Z, seems to have found a possible way to remain available in the United States. According to The Information, a deal is nearly finalized to sell the American arm of the app — a move pushed by Washington in the name of national security. This sale would lead to the launch of a standalone TikTok app designed specifically for the U.S. market.

The Trump administration has given ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, until September 2025 to comply with new legislation or face a full ban in the U.S. In response, a consortium of companies — including Oracle — is reportedly preparing to acquire TikTok’s American operations. Former President Donald Trump has mentioned “a group of very rich people” ready to finalize the deal, teasing more details in the coming weeks.

If the plan goes through, it will result in a new mobile app — code-named M2 — exclusively for U.S. users. It’s expected to roll out on major app stores starting September 5, while the original version will gradually be phased out. Users will have until March 2026 to make the switch, after which the old version will stop working entirely in the U.S.

The data privacy dilemma 🔐

At the heart of the controversy is the issue of data storage. U.S. lawmakers have criticized TikTok for hosting the personal data of its 170 million American users on servers based in China, potentially exposing them to access by Chinese authorities.

To address these concerns, the new U.S.-only app would store all user data on American soil, managed by the new ownership group. This technical separation would give the U.S. version more independence from TikTok’s global infrastructure.

Still, ByteDance is expected to retain a minority stake in the U.S. entity — a point that could complicate things further, especially if Beijing pushes back.

A geopolitical power play 🌐

TikTok’s future is unfolding against the broader backdrop of U.S.–China tech tensions. Trade wars, tariffs, and now digital sovereignty are all at play in this high-stakes negotiation. Beijing could resist the sale of what it considers “strategic” assets within ByteDance, potentially stalling the deal.

For now, TikTok remains operational in the U.S., but a massive overhaul could be on the horizon. If the transition is successful, the new app could become a model for how global tech companies adapt to local regulatory pressure.

Would you use a different version of TikTok depending on your country ? 🤔

Sources : Bfmtv, o1Net, Igeneration

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