TikTok’s parent ByteDance has decided it won’t sell or transfer the algorithm behind the video-sharing app in any sale or divestment, the South China Morning Post reported, citing a source briefed on the Chinese company’s boardroom discussions.
The company will not hand out the source code behind the social media platform but the company’s US based technology team would be free to develop a new algorithm, the newspaper said, adding that this would be a condition for a sale of the company’s US assets.
ByteDance and TikTok didn’t immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.
Separately, Fox reporter Charles Gasparino tweeted on Sunday that any TikTok deal would probably require negotiations between the US government and its Chinese counterpart to succeed.
