If and when push comes to shove

The foreign company has more data about more people than any other company in the world.

You don’t think they have a bunch of stuff to use on politicians if push comes to shove?

TikTok

ByteDance is inclined to shut down TikTok in the U.S. rather than sell it if all legal avenues fail, sources claim.

The core algorithms crucial to TikTok’s functioning are integral to ByteDance’s operations, making a sale without them improbable.

With TikTok contributing minimally to ByteDance’s overall revenues and user base, shutting it down in the U.S. would have limited impact, preserving the core algorithms.

ByteDance’s financial performance remains undisclosed, with TikTok’s U.S. revenues estimated at 25% of its total.

The company’s algorithms are considered proprietary and challenging to separate from the parent company.

China’s stance against forced divestment complicates any potential sale.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has shown interest in forming an investor group to acquire TikTok.

However, ByteDance may struggle to find buyers for TikTok’s U.S. assets without its core algorithms.