ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has announced that it will not sell the popular video-sharing app in order to continue its operations in the U.S. This decision comes despite a potential ban that faces the company under a law signed by President Biden. The bill, which is part of a foreign aid package signed by Biden, gives ByteDance one year to sell TikTok or risk being banned from the U.S.
The threat of a ban represents the most significant challenge TikTok has encountered in the U.S. so far. However, ByteDance is standing firm and has released a statement on Toutiao, a news aggregation app it owns, refuting a report that it was exploring options to sell TikTok in the U.S. without its algorithm. ByteDance clarified that these reports were false and stated that it has no plans to sell TikTok. The company’s decision signals its intention to fight the ban rather than backing down.
If TikTok were to be sold in the U.S., it would likely be a different app from what users are familiar with today, as Chinese export rules would govern the transfer of the app’s algorithm. The TikTok algorithm has been an essential element in the app’s popularity among users.
Meanwhile, TikTok has announced its intention to challenge the new law in court. Previous attempts to ban TikTok, including those under the Trump administration and in various states, have been thwarted by the courts.
TikTok remains optimistic about its ability to continue operating in