The countdown clock that threatened to silence TikTok in America has been unplugged.
In a move that reshapes the future of the internet in America, the app has officially avoided a federal ban by transitioning into a majority American-owned entity: the TikTok USDS Joint Venture.
The deal, sparked by a 2025 White House Executive Order, fundamentally rewires how the app operates on American soil. The new era begins as Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX finalize their acquisition, turning the platform into what stakeholders describe as a domestic stronghold for U.S. data.
On Jan. 22, TikTok announced that the change will allow more than 200 million Americans and 7.5 million businesses to continue using the platform. Under the new terms, the venture will operate under strict national security safeguards, including: Data Sovereignty—All U.S. user data will reside in Oracle’s domestic cloud, governed by CISA and NIST security protocols.
Algorithmic Oversight— Recommendation engines will be retrained and tested exclusively on U.S. data within secure domestic environments.
Vetted Software—Oracle will serve as the “Trusted Security Partner,” conducting ongoing source code reviews and software validation.
Policy Independence—The venture maintains autonomous decision-making power over content moderation and “Trust & Safety” standards to protect the domestic content ecosystem.
The joint venture is led by a majority-American board of directors, including TikTok CEO Shou Chew and leaders from Silver Lake, Oracle, and MGX. While ByteDance retains a 19.9% share, the remaining 80.1% is split among a consortium of American investors, including Oracle and Silver Lake (15% each) and Michael Dell’s family office.
While managing TikTok’s global connectivity and commercial interests like e-commerce and advertising, the USDS Joint Venture is led by a majority-American board of directors, including TikTok CEO Shou Chew, TPG Global Senior Advisor Timothy Dattels, and Susquehanna International Group Managing Director Mark Dooley.
This leadership team also features Silver Lake Co-CEO Egon Durban, DXC Technology CEO and Security Committee Chair Raul Fernandez, Oracle Executive Vice President Kenneth Glueck, and MGX Chief Strategy and Safety Officer David Scott, who together oversee the platform’s security, global strategy, and regulatory compliance.
Despite the federal resolution, the app’s status in Florida remains complicated.
In May 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis prohibited TikTok on all government devices and networks, citing cybersecurity risks. Furthermore, Florida House Bill 379, passed in 2023, strictly forbids the use of the app on school-issued devices and district Wi-Fi.
Additionally, the law prevents schools from using the app to promote district events, schoolsponsored clubs, sports teams, or any extracurricular activities.
Now that the app is majority American-owned, questions are surfacing regarding whether these state-level bans will be rescinded. For now, local districts are holding the line.
School District of Osceola County Communications Director Dana Schafer said the Osceola School District doesn’t utilize TikTok.
The ‘For You’ feed is officially here to stay; exactly who is allowed to watch it, however, remains a matter of zip code.
