A coalition led by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has made a formal bid to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations from its parent company, ByteDance. The group, called The People’s Bid for TikTok, also includes “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary and other high-profile backers such as investment firm Guggenheim Securities and web pioneer Tim Berners-Lee.
This proposal comes at a critical juncture, as the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments over a law set to ban TikTok in the U.S. starting January 19, unless ByteDance sells the app’s American operations. However, ByteDance has consistently resisted selling TikTok, stating it has no intentions of parting with the app despite mounting political and legal pressures.
The McCourt-led group aims to acquire TikTok’s U.S. assets without its proprietary algorithm, a critical technology that powers the app’s famous “For You” feed. This workaround responds to China’s export control laws, which require licenses for selling sensitive technologies. The coalition plans to rebuild the platform on American-designed technology, ensuring user privacy and trust while avoiding a ban.
“By keeping the platform alive without relying on the current TikTok algorithm, millions of Americans can continue to enjoy the platform,” McCourt said in a statement. He emphasized the group’s willingness to collaborate with ByteDance, President-elect Donald Trump, and the incoming administration to secure the deal.
Kevin O’Leary expressed confidence in their plan, dismissing concerns over the absence of TikTok’s existing algorithm. “We’ll buy it without the algorithm. We don’t need them. We’ll do it ourselves and make TikTok wonderful again,” he posted on social media.
However, critics and experts question the viability of a TikTok stripped of its algorithm, given its centrality to the app’s success. Attempts by other tech giants to replicate its personalized content delivery system have fallen short, raising doubts about the group’s ability to recreate its magic.
This bid represents a significant attempt to resolve a tense standoff between ByteDance and U.S. lawmakers, who argue that TikTok poses national security risks due to its Chinese ownership. ByteDance, in its Supreme Court filing, claims the proposed ban violates First Amendment rights and would disrupt the app’s 170 million monthly American users.
TikTok and ByteDance have yet to respond to requests for comment about the proposal. As the January 19 deadline looms, the future of the app—and its place in the U.S. digital landscape—hangs in the balance.
Source: Swifteradio.com
