Creator Economy

Creators Fear Sale of TikTok Without Its Algorithm

Pro-TikTok demonstrators outside of the Capitol building on March 13. Photo by AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite.
By
Kaya Yurieff

Last week, we reported ByteDance is internally exploring scenarios for selling a majority stake in TikTok’s U.S. business. Any such sale would happen without a crucial benefit: its powerful recommendation algorithm.

That possibility makes creators particularly nervous. TikTok’s algorithm, which quickly figures out a user’s interests, makes it easier for creators to amass views and find relevant audiences.