TikTok works to separate US recommendation algorithm amid political pressure

TikTok is working on an independent version of its algorithm that provides recommendations for its 170 million US users, toreassure American lawmakers concerned about data security, according to persons familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.

TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance ordered the initiative late last year, predating the legislative drive for a forced sale of TikTok's US operations. The bill, which was passed into law in April, requires TikTok to relinquish its holdings in the United States by January 19, 2025.

According to Reuters, TikTok programmers in the United States and China are currently splitting millions of lines of code to separate TikTok's algorithm from ByteDance's Chinese counterpart, Douyin. This technical separation is intended to resolve bipartisan concerns about potential Chinese government access to US user data.

ByteDance has repeatedly said that selling TikTok's US business is not feasible, citing commercial, technological, and regulatory constraints. Following the release of this news, TikTok contested Reuters' claim, labelling it as "misleading and factually inaccurate" on its X account, without citing the errors.

In May, TikTok and ByteDance sued in federal court in the United States to block the statute. A US appeals court has set a tight timeline to address these legal issues.

In recent months, hundreds of developers have been charged with the difficult task of developing a new code base for TikTok US This endeavour, characterised by sources as "dirty work," entails ensuring that the new algorithm is clear of any ties to Chinese user data.

The proposal reveals TikTok's efforts to limit the political dangers it confronts in the US President Biden and other bill proponents think that TikTok poses a substantial threat because it might provide Beijing access to massive amounts of data on US consumers.

The Chinese government's 2020 decision to add content recommendation algorithms to its export control list complicates matters by requiring any divestment or sale of TikTok's algorithm to go through administrative licensing procedures.

TikTok's recommendation engine, which tailors user content based on interaction data, has contributed significantly to the app's global appeal. ByteDance attributes TikTok's popularity to its smart algorithm.

TikTok previously attempted to address US concerns with "Project Texas," an effort to separate US user data that failed to satisfy regulators and lawmakers. The present code-splitting endeavour attempts to highlight TikTok USA's independence from ByteDance.

According to sources, TikTok executives have explored considering open-sourcing portions of their algorithms to increase transparency. However, the primary focus is still on developing a distinct recommendation engine for the US market.

This project is projected to take more than a year to complete. Despite the ongoing legal fights, ByteDance continues to go forward with the technological separation, acknowledging the risk that TikTok US will struggle to sustain its current performance levels without ByteDance's engineering support.

The goal is to create a new source code repository for TikTok US that operates independently of TikTok's other regional apps and Douyin. This move is viewed as a significant step in TikTok's efforts to comply with US regulatory requirements and protect its future in the American market.

(With inputs from Reuters)