Is the US-China TikTok deal done? Here’s what you need to know:
What Happened:
After months of negotiations and uncertainty, a potential deal for the US operations of TikTok appears to have been reached. Oracle and Walmart have joined forces to form a new entity called TikTok Global, with Oracle holding a 12.5% stake and Walmart owning 7.5%. The deal came as the result of President Trump’s executive order demanding the Chinese-owned app to be sold due to national security concerns, with a deadline of September 20.
While initially, it seemed like the deal would involve a full sale of TikTok’s US operations, the current arrangement falls short of that. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, will retain a majority stake in TikTok Global. However, the deal includes provisions that address US government concerns, such as making Oracle responsible for hosting all US user data and ensuring that there is an independent US-based board of directors.
President Trump has given his “blessing” to the deal, although it still requires official approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Trump has mentioned that the deal should include a $5 billion contribution towards an education initiative, aimed at teaching American children “real history.” On the other hand, China has also introduced regulations that could impact the export of TikTok’s valuable algorithm, potentially complicating the deal.
While many details of the agreement remain unclear, it is apparent that the situation is still subject to regulatory approval and further developments.
Sources Analysis:
Oracle – While Oracle has not shown overt bias in this specific scenario, as a direct participant in the deal, its primary goal is likely to acquire a stake in TikTok to enhance its cloud computing business.
Walmart – Walmart, a retail giant, also stands to benefit from the partnership by expanding its e-commerce reach through TikTok.
Fact Check:
The formation of TikTok Global – Verified facts. This information has been confirmed by multiple reputable sources, including statements from Oracle, Walmart, and ByteDance.
$5 billion contribution towards an education initiative – Unconfirmed claims. While President Trump mentioned this as part of the deal, further details are required to verify its accuracy and implementation.
China’s introduction of new export regulations – Statements that cannot be independently verified. The impact of these regulations on TikTok’s algorithm export is still unclear as the details have not been fully disclosed.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Is the US-China TikTok deal done? Here’s what you need to know”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.