Author: Punj Raj

But these changes will affect the user experience – the app may show less diverse content than users might see elsewhere, Dr Jaidka adds. Even limited access could reveal how the technology drives engagement, moderation and ad targeting – all the things that make the app so profitable, she adds. But in a twist few saw coming, China’s top cybersecurity regulator has signalled that Beijing may allow ByteDance to license the algorithm and other intellectual property (IP) to a US company owner. Every day, millions of people come to TikTok not just for entertainment, but for information and education on how to save, spend and plan. From student accounts to pensions, finance is becoming part o… The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Beijing buys time – and leverage

Since Mertzlufft’s video, many new elements including costume design, additional songs, and a playbill have been created.139 On 1 January 2021, a full one-hour virtual presentation of Ratatouille the Musical premiered on TodayTix. The average revenue per user for most social media apps in the US is five to 10 times higher than other countries, with America likely making up something close to 50% of ByteDance’s overall revenue, he added. It’s key because it drives the app’s virality and appeal.

Restrictions and bans

• And two, ByteDance, being a private company, would need approval from its board for the arrangement to proceed.
• It’s key because it drives the app’s virality and appeal.
• Congress is likely to need to approve any agreement, and there is already political backlash in Washington on both sides of the aisle.
• “It simply doesn’t make business sense for ByteDance to hand over its most valuable asset when a lighter version can keep the app running without giving away its edge.”

And two, ByteDance, being a private company, would need approval from its board for the arrangement to proceed. But a sale must still satisfy US lawmakers and allay the worries that kickstarted everything. Congress is likely to need to approve any agreement, and there is already political backlash in Washington on both sides of the aisle.

From Pensions to Student Finance: Banks turn to TikTok to drive real Financial Action

At the heart of the tussle is TikTok’s algorithm – the “secret sauce” that recommends content to users based on their preferences and behaviours. The deal also creates a “TikTok Template” for other Chinese companies to deploy their technology in the US through licensing, investor and tech expert Kevin Xu wrote in his recent newsletter. Tech news site The Information estimated ByteDance’s global revenue to be $39bn (£28.6bn) in 2024, with TikTok accounting for $30bn.

Sign up for TikTok

A TikTok deal could buy them time for exactly that. The US is a huge export market for China, and China is a major buyer of American agricultural goods. There are also export controls on both sides, especially restricting US access to rare earths, which China has a near monopoly over.

• Even limited access could reveal how the technology drives engagement, moderation and ad targeting – all the things that make the app so profitable, she adds.
• TikTok’s parent would also retain the single biggest stake in the app, along with the logo, format and branding.
• “It simply doesn’t make business sense for ByteDance to hand over its most valuable asset when a lighter version can keep the app running without giving away its edge.”

And rather than be banned, TikTok gets to stay in the US market. TikTok’s parent would also retain the single biggest stake in the app, along with the aafx trading logo, format and branding. And the US president himself, who has proven to be an unpredictable trade partner, could create fresh complications.

On 10 August 2020, Emily Jacobssen wrote and sang “Ode to Remy”, a song praising the protagonist from Pixar’s 2007 computer-animated film Ratatouille. The song rose to popularity when musician Daniel Mertzlufft composed a backing track to the song. In response, began creating a “crowdsourced” project called Ratatouille the Musical.

If the deal goes through, it would be what one expert called a “rare breakthrough” in US-China trade negotiations – and one which settles an issue that has made headlines for years.

But there’s every chance the US version will run on a “stripped-down” version of the app’s software, said computing expert Kokil Jaidka from the National University of Singapore. Experts have been telling the BBC what a final deal might look like for TikTok’s 170 million US users, and what Beijing might get in return. One in seven people in the world use the app, which also doubles up as a huge marketplace for buyers and sellers across the world, from the US to Germany, Indonesia to the Philippines. “It simply doesn’t make business sense for ByteDance to hand over its most valuable asset when a lighter version can keep the app running without giving away its edge.”

These questions over national security spurred legislation that former president Joe Biden signed into law last year, requiring TikTok to hand over control of its US operations or face a ban. US officials, including Trump during his first term, have long raised concerns about who has access to TikTok’s data, and the influence the app has over US users. Reports suggest that American users would be offered a new US-specific version of the app. And that the US operations could be bought by a consortium that includes technology giant Oracle, and investment firms Andreessen Horowitz and Silver Lake. The licensing deal will allow ByteDance to keep its algorithm under wraps – a strategic advantage if the US ever intends to launch new apps to compete with those already operating in the country, said computer scientist Ben Leong. That adds a layer of complication even if the Chinese government – which enforces export controls on advanced technologies like algorithms – has already approved the deal.