TikTok US-China deal nears as Trump, Xi weigh terms
A long-awaited deal over TikTok may be within reach, with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping set to discuss terms on Friday. Officials from both countries struck a “framework” agreement this week that could see TikTok’s US operations sold to a group of American firms, including Oracle and investment giants Andreessen Horowitz and Silver Lake. Reports suggest US users could soon get a new American-specific version of the app. Experts say the deal would mark a “rare breakthrough” in strained US-China trade negotiations, potentially easing years of tensions around the app’s future. For TikTok’s 170 million American users, however, the biggest question remains: what happens to the algorithm? Often described as TikTok’s “secret sauce,” the recommendation engine is the core of its global appeal. While Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts have tried to copy it, they fall […]
