Trump's TikTok deal is another step closer to finally actually happening

The article discusses the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. government and TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, regarding the sale of TikTok's U.S. operations. According to the report, TikTok CEO Shou Chew informed employees that TikTok and ByteDance have signed off on an agreement that would give a group of U.S. investors, including Oracle and Silver Lake, control of TikTok's U.S. business, while ByteDance would retain a smaller stake. The deal is expected to close on January 22, 2026, and the new U.S. joint venture would have authority over data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance. However, it remains unclear where Chinese officials stand on the deal, as previous discussions have only resulted in vague statements. The article notes that this agreement is another step closer to a finalized deal, which has been in the works for nearly a year since Trump's first executive order to delay a law requiring the sale or ban of the app.