Reuters: TikTok US will operate independently

Reuters reported on July 9, TikTok is accelerating the development of a standalone application for American users, which is planned to be launched in September. This version will use a new algorithm system and completely rely on data from American users for content recommendations, separating from the global version's technology. The content ecosystem of 170 million American users will be directly affected, and content from non-American creators may not appear in the recommendation stream of the new app.

According to insiders, the project is codenamed "M2," and a team of 170 engineers has completed the migration of core algorithms and user data from the global platform to the American system. The new algorithm will train models solely based on the behavior of American users, cutting off the link with ByteDance's international technical network. Analysts point out that this move aims to meet the requirements of the U.S. Data Security Law - a bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, requiring ByteDance to spin off TikTok's U.S. operations by January 19, 2025.

The technical separation has entered the implementation phase: Since January of this year, TikTok has migrated all U.S. user data to local servers operated by Oracle and completed the splitting of the algorithm codebase. Reuters confirmed that if the business is sold in the future, the new app will be operated by a U.S. consortium (including existing shareholders such as SIG and KKR, as well as new investors such as Blackstone) and a joint venture established by ByteDance, with ByteDance retaining a minority stake. It is worth noting that China's updated export control regulations in 2020 have included recommendation algorithms within the regulatory scope, and the authorities previously opposed the transfer of algorithms. The Trump administration recently stated that it will restart negotiations with China on the TikTok deal.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837201601803273/

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