We have yet another wrinkle in the ongoing TikTok-U.S. saga.
According to a new report from The Information, TikTok is in the midst of developing a new U.S.-only version of the app, as it closes in on a deal with a U.S. partner, in line with the requirements of the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.”
According to the report, the U.S.-only version of TikTok is currently being referred to as “M2” internally, and is scheduled to launch in early September. American users will then be required to download this updated, spun-off version of the app to keep using TikTok, though they’ll have till March 2026 to do so.
How exactly this American-only version of TikTok will be different, we don’t know at this stage, but presumably, this will enable TikTok owner ByteDance to maintain full control over TikTok in every other region, while also meeting the new requirements specific to the U.S. market.
Which includes limits on foreign ownership, and control over the platform’s algorithms. The latter element has been a key sticking point for the Chinese Government, which has been steadfast in its determination that TikTok’s algorithm cannot be sold with the app.
Maybe then, this deal will enable a sell-off without full algorithm access, ensuring more control, in line with U.S. laws, but also separating that from the main app. Though that could also be a negative for TikTok, which relies on its algorithm to help maximize engagement.
The news comes just days after President Trump announced that he has a TikTok buyer lined up, made up of a group of “very wealthy people.” Trump has delayed the forced sell-off of the app three times thus far, but now, he seems set on establishing a sell-off ahead of the current September deadline for the full enactment of the law.
Will that work out? Well, we don’t have enough detail to go on as yet, but with Trump signaling that a buying group has been all but approved, and with TikTok moving to create a separate U.S. access point, which is set to be released at the same time as Trump’s current extension executive order runs out, it does seem like we’re moving closer to a deal that will ensure TikTok remains available in the U.S.
And if it can somehow maintain the compulsiveness of the app’s current algorithm, then it could be a win-win, though “could” is the key term at this stage.
