TikTok's New US Overlord: A Recipe for Censorship and Data Collection
The past week has been a whirlwind of changes, challenges, and conspiracy theories surrounding TikTok's new American iteration. The company, now dubbed "TikTok USA" – a name that sounds eerily like a military operation – is the brainchild of a joint venture between Oracle and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX. But what's behind this sudden shift in ownership?
The answer lies in the Trump administration's backing for the deal. Several high-profile investors, including Oracle and MGX, have ties to the former president and his inner circle. This has raised eyebrows among users, who are now wondering if their favorite platform is becoming a tool for spreading MAGA ideology.
The new company's algorithm, content moderation policies, and trust and safety protocols will all be handled by TikTok USA, which will license its content recommendation algorithm to the American company and host user data on Oracle servers. This means that users can expect more tailored content – but at what cost?
TikTok USA's updated privacy policy collects even more data on its users, including their precise location, AI interactions, and personal info shared with a broader ad network. Some have pointed out that the new language in the policy could potentially collect data on "immigration status" – although this was actually present in the previous policy to comply with certain state laws.
The question on everyone's mind is: what will be the leadership of this new company? While some investors, such as Oracle lobbyist Kenneth Glueck and Silver Lake co-CEO Egon Durban, have ties to Trump's administration, it's unclear whether they'll push for a more MAGA-friendly platform.
In any case, daily uninstalls on TikTok USA have skyrocketed by 130 percent in the first four days of ownership compared to the previous 30 days. Smaller social media platforms are likely to see an increase in users looking for alternatives – like UpScrolled, which is currently second only to ChatGPT in Apple's App Store.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen what TikTok USA will look like under its new leadership. But one thing is certain: the platform has become a hotbed of controversy and debate over data collection, censorship, and algorithmic manipulation.
The past week has been a whirlwind of changes, challenges, and conspiracy theories surrounding TikTok's new American iteration. The company, now dubbed "TikTok USA" – a name that sounds eerily like a military operation – is the brainchild of a joint venture between Oracle and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX. But what's behind this sudden shift in ownership?
The answer lies in the Trump administration's backing for the deal. Several high-profile investors, including Oracle and MGX, have ties to the former president and his inner circle. This has raised eyebrows among users, who are now wondering if their favorite platform is becoming a tool for spreading MAGA ideology.
The new company's algorithm, content moderation policies, and trust and safety protocols will all be handled by TikTok USA, which will license its content recommendation algorithm to the American company and host user data on Oracle servers. This means that users can expect more tailored content – but at what cost?
TikTok USA's updated privacy policy collects even more data on its users, including their precise location, AI interactions, and personal info shared with a broader ad network. Some have pointed out that the new language in the policy could potentially collect data on "immigration status" – although this was actually present in the previous policy to comply with certain state laws.
The question on everyone's mind is: what will be the leadership of this new company? While some investors, such as Oracle lobbyist Kenneth Glueck and Silver Lake co-CEO Egon Durban, have ties to Trump's administration, it's unclear whether they'll push for a more MAGA-friendly platform.
In any case, daily uninstalls on TikTok USA have skyrocketed by 130 percent in the first four days of ownership compared to the previous 30 days. Smaller social media platforms are likely to see an increase in users looking for alternatives – like UpScrolled, which is currently second only to ChatGPT in Apple's App Store.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen what TikTok USA will look like under its new leadership. But one thing is certain: the platform has become a hotbed of controversy and debate over data collection, censorship, and algorithmic manipulation.
like how much info do we have to share? I don't wanna be tracked everywhere I go... is that how algorithms work? 
also, what's the deal with upscrolled? why does it have 130% more users already? did they invest in it or something? 
just think about how fast tiktok's changing 
now it's owned by oracle 
and we dont no what kinda content will be censored 
or what kinda ads will be shown to us 
i feel like my data is being sold out 
especially with this new policy 
that says they can collect our immigration status 
thats a major red flag 
because its still our fave app 
and we need to keep watching vids 
so maybe ill just keep an eye 
they're just gonna push even more ads and collect our personal info like it's nobodies business. And what's up with the Oracle servers? I mean, who needs that level of data collection? It feels like we're losing control over our own online presence. I remember when TikTok first started, it was all about creativity and self-expression... now it just seems like another giant corporate entity sucking the life outta it 
have u noticed how fast all the daily uninstalls are on tiktok uss? like 130 percent in 4 days thats crazy!!! i think we need to start looking for some new alternatives to chatgpt and upscrolled
TikTok's got some 'splainin' to do... 
[Image of Elon Musk with a "I'm watching you" expression]
. and what's up with the high-profile investors having ties to trump's admin?