The U.S. tech company Oracle and retail giant Walmart agreed to acquire a stake in the popular social media app TikTok to address concerns about national security and user data privacy. The deal came after the Trump administration threatened to ban TikTok in the United States over fears that the Chinese-owned app could be used to spy on American citizens or influence the upcoming presidential election.
Under the proposed agreement, Oracle and Walmart will together take up to a 20% stake in a new U.S.-based entity called TikTok Global. Oracle will be responsible for hosting TikTok’s user data and securing computer systems to ensure that U.S. national security requirements are met. Oracle’s chairman Larry Ellison expressed that the partnership would provide TikTok with “world-class security, privacy, and digital safety.” Moreover, Walmart aims to utilize TikTok’s potential for e-commerce and advertising to enhance its reach among younger consumers.
Despite this deal potentially addressing security concerns, some critics argue it may make the app less relevant in the long run. By shifting TikTok’s ownership to American companies and placing restrictions on its operations, the app could lose its appeal, especially if its algorithm and content recommendations are altered to conform to U.S. regulations. This could lead to a decline in its user engagement and ultimately affect its market position.
The final decision on the deal lies with the Trump administration, which will need to approve the arrangement to ensure it meets the national security interests of the United States. While the deal could enhance the safety of user data, it remains to be seen how it will impact TikTok’s relevance and popularity among its predominantly young user base.
Sources Analysis:
Oracle – As a directly involved party in the deal, Oracle has a vested interest in shaping public opinion to garner support for the agreement.
Walmart – Similarly, as a participant in the TikTok deal, Walmart has a stake in presenting the partnership positively to secure regulatory approval and boost its own business prospects through the app.
Fact Check:
The fact that Oracle and Walmart are acquiring a stake in TikTok – Verified fact. This information is based on official statements from the companies involved.
The concerns about TikTok’s potential security risks – Unconfirmed claims. While these concerns have been raised by the Trump administration, no concrete evidence has been provided to support them.
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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 “Will the US TikTok deal make it safer but less relevant?”. 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.