Cloud platform Oracle is reportedly the favorite to help run TikTok, according to investors, bankers, and former executives familiar with ByteDance. According to The Information, these sources claim that ByteDance favors Oracle, while President Trump has allegedly “indicated his support” for the platform.
However, a key challenge remains: ByteDance reportedly intends to retain significant control, conflicting with proposals like billionaire Frank McCourt’s, which emphasize user data ownership.
According to investors privy to ByteDance’s strategy, the company is aiming for a structure mirroring Project Texas. This would entail storing US data with Oracle and granting them algorithmic oversight, thus giving Oracle significant influence over users’ For You Page experience.
As part of the TikTok “ban or sell” law, the app went dark on Jan. 19. It was brought back the next day by Trump, who issued an executive order extending the deadline by 75 days. Since then, there hasn’t been much news in terms of a deal, with Trump simply saying one would be coming “soon,” and that there were four parties interested. Whether Oracle is among those parties remains a mystery, but at least some progress is finally being made.
