TikTok is probably one of the most used social media in the world, who hasn’t spent hours watching videos on this platform? However, something is going to change on TikTok for American users. According to the White House, the data will be stored by Oracle servers located in the country. So, let’s find out more about this change and what it means for users.
Oracle: the new safety partner of TikTok
White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, explained that Oracle won’t only store data, but also protect it against possible espionage attempts or interference by foreign governments. What’s more, she pointed out that TikTok’s algorithm (the technology that decides which videos are shown to each user) will be operated and adjusted from the United States. Leavitt stated:
“TikTok will be owned by a majority of American investors and controlled by a board of directors with national security and cybersecurity experience. Oracle will serve as TikTok’s trusted security provider, working independently to monitor the safety and data security of all US user data. Americans’ data will be stored securely in the United States without access from China.”
This means that American users’ data of this app will be only managed from the inside of the national territory and under the United States rules.
Previous relation between TikkTok and Oracle
This agreement doesn’t happen out of nothing. More than a year ago, Oracle had already worked with TikTok as part of its infrastructure in the United States. In June 2022, TikTok explained in an announcement that it had already started transferring American users’ data to Oracle servers:
The company said that it has been working with Oracle for a while to improve the app and data’s safety, and it recognized it still used datacenters in the United States and Singapore for backup. However, TikTok announced it was thinking about removing users’ private data from its own centers and moving everything to Oracle’s cloud in the United States.
Businessmen involved in this operation
President Donald Trump also commented in an interview that important businessmen are taking part in this process. For example, Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computers, could be involved and Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, is part of the group that seeks to acquire TikTok USA.
According to the White House spokesperson, the U.S. and China had already finalized an agreement for the sale of TikTok’s US operations.This means the popular algorithm of the app will be controlled by American interests.
Economic impact
At the press conference, Karoline Leavitt didn’t give any details about the exact value of the agreement. However, she stated that the companies that use TikTok could earn up to $178 billion economic activity in the U.S. over the next 4 years. This proves the app’s importance as a social media and as a key part of digital business and economic growth.
What this means for TikTok users
Leavitt clarified that the app will continue being a global platform. So, American users could still keep watching videos from other countries, and international users could also watch content created by people in the U.S.
Basically, the future of TikTok in the U.S. is not about losing the fun that made the app famous, but about adding stronger security behind the scenes. And as the platform keeps growing, this change could open even more opportunities for creators, businesses, and everyday users like you.
So, next time you open TikTok, you could enjoy your feed knowing that what happens on your screen is still global and entertaining, but your data is staying right here at home. Is this change okay with you?