Following pressure from US legislators, TikTok has embarked on the development of an American version of the app. Their concerns stem from the fear that the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, may exploit the personal data of American users for its state’s interests.
Developing a Stand-Alone Version
Work has started on a clone of the recommendation algorithm, creating a version that operates separately from ByteDance. This independent version proves to be a more acceptable option for US lawmakers who want to ban the app compulsorily. A bill to ban the app was signed by American authorities in April, according to Reuters.
Insiders say hundreds of programmers are currently pumping their expertise into the project. Their task is to analyze millions of TikTok code lines to distinguish the part that will be used in the American version. According to the company, this labor-intensive process will not take less than a year.
Objectives and Challenges
The primary goal is to wholly dissociate the American TikTok division from the Chinese company ByteDance. Following the completion of the project, the American version of the app will function autonomously, without access to Chinese users’ data or potential influence from Chinese authorities.
However, concerns are rife that separating from the main team of developers in China might negatively impact the performance and engagement of TikTok’s American audience. Vital app algorithms’ support, upgrading, and modernizing lie mainly on the expertise of ByteDance’s Chinese engineers.
Legal Challenge Against US Law
In the interim, TikTok and ByteDance intend to legally challenge the new American law mandating the forced sale of their US assets. They argue that the law violates the company’s rights. Despite these legal pursuits, work continues on creating an independent American version, just in case they fail to overturn the law through legal means.
