Frank McCourt, former LA Dodgers owner, is assembling a $20 billion bid to purchase TikTok’s US operations – with a twist that could revolutionize how social media platforms handle user data.
The plan would give TikTok users unprecedented control over their personal information and advertising experiences, marking a sharp departure from the current model where platforms freely harvest and monetize user data.
“When you give permission for your data to be used and you receive compensation, it’s flipping this 180 degrees and giving the user the power,” McCourt told Reuters.
His team is already searching for a CEO and has secured verbal commitments from investors. The proposal would shift TikTok away from its heavy reliance on advertising revenue toward alternative income streams like ecommerce and AI data licensing – but only with explicit user consent.
However, significant obstacles remain. TikTok’s parent company ByteDance maintains the app cannot be separated from its Chinese ownership. The Supreme Court is also weighing whether to uphold a law that could ban TikTok in the US by January 19 unless it’s sold.
McCourt’s bid strategically excludes TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, sidestepping potential complications with Chinese export controls. His team has reportedly begun preliminary discussions with Donald Trump’s incoming administration, marking a notable shift from Trump’s previous attempts to ban the app in 2020.
The proposed overhaul would integrate TikTok with Project Liberty, an open-source protocol that enables users to freely transfer their data across different platforms – a feature that could fundamentally alter how social media companies operate.
McCourt and his team remain optimistic about the bid’s prospects, particularly if the Supreme Court upholds the forced sale law, potentially opening the door for negotiations with ByteDance.
