US Investor Vows to Scrap TikTok Algorithm in Acquisition Bid Amid China Tensions

NEW YORK: Billionaire investor Frank McCourt has reaffirmed his readiness to purchase the US operations of TikTok, but revealed a core element of his plan: the complete removal of the platform’s existing Chinese technology, including its highly potent recommendation algorithm.

Speaking to the BBC, McCourt, who heads the Project Liberty initiative, said his consortium has raised the necessary capital and is poised to act, should the US government finally allow the sale to proceed.

The investor’s commitment to eliminating the existing technology is designed to directly address the national security concerns that led to the 2024 law mandating the platform’s sale or ban. Lawmakers feared that TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, could be forced by Beijing to surrender US user data.

“My hope would be that whatever happens, that it is shut down or sold, and lands in the hands of people that comply with the law,” McCourt stated.

He confirmed his vision is to operate TikTok without any of its current Chinese technology, instead utilizing alternative, decentralized technology developed by Project Liberty to give users more control over their data and digital experiences.

McCourt’s readiness comes as the Trump administration is expected to extend the sale deadline for a fifth time this week, leaving the complex geopolitical standoff unresolved.

Previous claims by the President that a deal was done and that it had the blessing of President Xi Jinping failed to materialize, leading analysts to conclude that a short-term extension is inevitable. Meanwhile, the investor remains wary of the concentration of influence held by large social media platforms.

McCourt’s consortium includes high-profile figures such as Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Canadian investor Kevin O’Leary, and is positioned as an alternative to other interested parties, some of whom are allies of the current administration.