Potential buyer of TikTok emerges in hopes of fundamentally changing app

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE CLOCK IS TICKING FOR TIKTOK’S PARENT COMPANY TO SELL THE APP BY JANUARY 19TH OR BE BANNED IN THE U-S. 

A NEW LAW BACKED BY REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS AND SIGNED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN IS FORCING CHINA-LINKED BYTEDANCE TO DIVEST TIKTOK OR SEE THE APP BARRED FROM AMERICANS’ PHONES.

NOW A POTENTIAL BUYER HAS EMERGED AND HE’S HOPING TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE APP AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

FORMER LOS ANGELES DODGERS OWNER, BILLIONAIRE, FRANK MCCOURT SAID WEDNESDAY HIS ORGANIZATION, PROJECT LIBERTY, IS GATHERING BIDDERS TO BUY TIKTOK.

HE SAYS HIS GOAL IS TO REMAKE AND REIMAGINE HOW TIKTOK AND THE INTERNET CONSIDERS DATA AND PRIVACY. 

MCCOURT TOLD THE NEW YORK TIMES THE TIMING WAS RIGHT, SAYING:

“THIS SEEMED LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY CREATE THE ALTERNATIVE TO THE CURRENT INTERNET. WHICH HAS BEEN COLONIZED BY LARGE PLATFORMS AND INCLUDING TIKTOK.”

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH SEMAFOR, HE PRAISED THE APP BUT OFFERED A SERIOUS WARNING, STATING: 

“TIKTOK PRESENTS THE BEST AND WORST OF THE INTERNET. IT CONNECTS 170 MILLION PEOPLE AND ALLOWS THEM TO BE CREATIVE AND BUILD THINGS AND ENJOY THINGS AND DO THINGS. ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY DON’T GET TO REALLY SHARE IN THE VALUE THAT’S CREATED, AND THEIR DATA IS SCRAPED AND STOLEN AND SHIPPED TO CHINA.”

MCCOURT SAYS HIS TAKEOVER COULD HELP PEOPLE “CONTROL THEIR IDENTITY, AND CONTROL THEIR DATA.” 

HIS ORGANIZATION PROJECT LIBERTY IS ALREADY WORKING TO LIMIT THE CONTROL TECH GIANTS LIKE FACEBOOK AND TIKTOK HAVE OVER USER INFORMATION.

MCCOURT’S BID IS STILL EARLY ON AND HE HASN’T NAMED A VALUATION.

SELLING TIKTOK IS REPORTEDLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF ITS ALGORITHMS, WHICH ARE VITAL TO IT SUCCESS.

MCCOURT “DOUBTS” CHINA” WOULD SELL TIKTOK WITH THE ALGORITHM BUT HE’S INTERESTED WITHOUT IT BECAUSE, “HE’S TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURE.”

THE LAW FORCING THE SALE OF TIKTOK WAS PASSED OVER NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS.

THE WHITE HOUSE SAID CHINA’S LINK TO THE APP WAS A THREAT TO THE U-S. BYTEDANCE HAS STATED IT WOULD PREFER SHUTTING DOWN TIKTOK IN THE U-S INSTEAD OF SELLING IT AN AMERICAN FIRM IF IT CAN’T BEAT THE U-S LAW IN COURT.

BYTEDANCE IS SUING THE U-S GOVERNMENT TO BLOCK THE LAW, ALLEGING IT INFRINGES ON FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

NOW A GROUP OF TIKTOK USERS ARE SUING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ALSO CLAIMING THE NEW LAW VIOLATES THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS– BY STIFLING A COMMUNICATION METHOD AND INHIBITING CONTENT CREATION AND VIEWING EXPERIENCES.

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