President Donald Trump joked that he would like the TikTok algorithm to be “100% MAGA” as he signed an executive order approving a deal that transfers control of the Chinese-owned social media app to a US business group. Speaking at a signing ceremony in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had approved the proposed deal, valued at around $14bn, which meets American national security concerns.
When asked whether the platform would now recommend more MAGA-related content, Trump replied: “I always like MAGA-related. If I could, I’d make it a hundred percent MAGA related.” He added: “But it’s not going to work out that way unfortunately. No, everyone’s going to be treated fairly.”
Under the terms of the deal, a new joint-venture company will oversee TikTok’s US business, with ByteDance retaining less than a 20 per cent stake. Tech giant Oracle, investment firm Silver Lake Partners, and the MGX investment fund will reportedly control around 45 per cent. Further details on investors are expected, though Dell CEO Michael Dell, Oracle’s Larry Ellison and media mogul Rupert Murdoch have been previously mentioned.
Trump told Fox News Sunday: “They’re very well-known people. Larry Ellison [of Oracle] is one of them, he’s involved, he’s a great guy. Michael Dell is involved… Rupert is probably gonna be in the group. I think they’re going to be in the group. Couple of others, really great people, very prominent people.” A source confirmed to The Independent that the Murdochs were involved in conversations with the White House, despite a tumultuous relationship between Rupert Murdoch and Trump.
No representatives from ByteDance were present at the signing, and the company has not acknowledged the transaction, according to CNBC. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The deal follows legislation signed by then-President Joe Biden last year requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s assets to an American company or face a nationwide ban.
Trump’s comments come amid ongoing concerns from US lawmakers about TikTok’s alleged connections to the Chinese Communist Party and potential data security risks. A Pew Research Center report published Thursday found that 43 per cent of US adults under 30 regularly get news from TikTok, more than any other social media app.
