TikTok denies report of creating US-only algorithm

TikTok has denied a Reuters report claiming its engineers are developing a separate recommendation algorithm for the US market to operate independently from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

Sources indicated that this project aims to demonstrate TikTok’s US independence and might take over a year to complete. Discussions about the project have reportedly taken place during company meetings and on the internal messaging platform, Lark.

Sources also claimed that separating the source code would isolate TikTok from the parent company's “massive engineering development power.”

TikTok responded by calling the report "misleading and factually inaccurate" on Twitter. Spokesperson Michael Hughes confirmed that the company is not splitting the code and that there is no plan for divestiture.

This comes as TikTok continues to assure US lawmakers of its independence through initiatives like “Project Texas,” described as “an unprecedented initiative dedicated to making every American on TikTok feel safe, with confidence that their data is secure and the platform is free from outside influence.” Despite these efforts, skepticism remains, with ongoing legal battles over a law requiring ByteDance to transfer control of the app by January 19th, 2025, to avoid a US ban.