TikTok will continue operating in the United States after ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, agreed to spin off the US business into a new joint venture designed to safeguard American data and national security. The move comes after years of uncertainty over the platform’s future in the country.

Under the agreement, TikTok has partnered with three major investors — Oracle, Silver Lake, and Emirati investment firm MGX — to form a new TikTok US joint venture. The deal is set to close on 22 January, according to an internal memo seen by The Associated Press. In the memo, CEO Shou Zi Chew thanked employees for their work and urged them to focus on serving users, creators, businesses, and the global TikTok community.

Half of the new venture will be owned by the consortium of investors, with each holding a 15 percent stake. ByteDance will retain 19.9 percent, while 30.1 percent will be held by affiliates of existing ByteDance investors. The memo did not identify the remaining investors, and both TikTok and the White House declined to comment.

The US-based company will be governed by a seven-member majority-American board and will operate under rules intended to protect American user data. US data will be stored locally in a system managed by Oracle, and the company said users will experience the platform as they do today. Advertisers will also continue to reach global audiences without disruption.

A key aspect of the deal involves TikTok’s algorithm, which determines the content users see. The algorithm will be retrained on US user data to prevent outside manipulation and ensure the content feed remains under US oversight. The venture will also oversee content moderation and policies within the country.

Concerns about the algorithm have been central to debates over national security. US officials have warned that the algorithm could be influenced by Chinese authorities, while Chinese law previously required ByteDance to maintain control over it. The new venture’s structure is intended to sever ties between the algorithm and ByteDance, as required by US legislation.

The agreement ends years of uncertainty about TikTok’s future in the US. In August 2020, the Trump administration attempted to ban the platform due to its Chinese ownership. Subsequent executive orders temporarily allowed TikTok to continue operating while negotiations over a sale or spinoff took place. The process faced multiple delays, including stalled talks after China resisted proposed deals.

TikTok now has more than 170 million users in the US. A recent Pew Research Center report found that 43 percent of American adults under 30 regularly access news through TikTok, surpassing YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Following the announcement, Oracle shares rose $9.07 to $189.10 in after-hours trading.

The joint venture marks a major milestone for TikTok, ensuring the app can maintain its presence in the US while meeting regulatory and national security concerns.

France enters 2026 with an economy that is stable but increasingly limited by high public deficits, rising debt, and political deadlock. Growth is expected to recover modestly as inflation eases and financing conditions improve, but weak fiscal consolidation and legislative gridlock continue to weigh on the country’s economic prospects.

Credit rating agency KBRA recently downgraded France’s long-term sovereign rating to AA-, citing persistently high deficits and a deteriorating debt trajectory. The agency revised its outlook to stable from negative but warned that without decisive reforms and spending restraint, French sovereign credit metrics would remain under pressure.

“Despite France’s exceptional access to liquidity, a fragmented political environment is weighing on credit metrics by impeding meaningful fiscal consolidation and keeping deficits elevated,” Ken Egan, senior director for sovereigns at KBRA, told Euronews.

France’s economic growth remains modest. GDP expanded by 1.1% in 2024 and is projected at around 0.8% in 2025, weighed down by weak domestic demand, subdued investment, and uncertainty linked to geopolitics and trade fragmentation. Household consumption has remained cautious despite falling inflation and improving real wages, while investment has been constrained by higher interest rates, particularly in construction and other sensitive sectors.

Government programmes such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and France 2030 are expected to provide support, but their impact may be limited without broader fiscal reforms. On the positive side, headline harmonised inflation dropped to 0.9% year-on-year in late 2025, below the European Central Bank’s target and below the eurozone average, offering some relief to households.

Political challenges continue to hinder fiscal execution. President Emmanuel Macron’s second term has been marked by a fragmented parliament and difficulty passing major legislation. Budgetary impasses, no-confidence votes, and frequent use of constitutional tools have slowed reforms, including the 2023 pension measures. Originally expected to generate €11 billion in annual savings by 2027, these adjustments are now projected to deliver just €100 million in 2026.

The fiscal outlook remains vulnerable. The International Monetary Fund projects France’s debt-to-GDP ratio rising from around 116% in 2025 toward nearly 130% by 2030. Rising interest payments will further strain public finances, with debt servicing costs expected to reach €59.3 billion in 2026, up from €36.2 billion in 2020. A primary budget deficit projected at 3.4% between 2026 and 2030 limits the government’s ability to stabilise the debt trajectory.

Despite these challenges, France retains strong market access. Government bonds benefit from deep liquidity, a diversified investor base, and the country’s core status within the eurozone. KBRA notes that while liquidity reduces near-term risks, the lack of fiscal consolidation and ongoing political fragmentation could leave France’s debt burden on an upward path, limiting policy flexibility in the years ahead.

Warner Bros Discovery is expected to advise shareholders to reject a hostile takeover attempt from Paramount Global, dealing a significant setback to Paramount’s $108 billion bid, according to multiple news reports. Euronews has reached out to Warner Bros Discovery for comment.

Paramount launched the takeover attempt in early December, offering $30 per share in cash directly to Warner Bros shareholders after the studio’s board rejected several acquisition proposals. Netflix has also made an offer of $27.75 per share in cash and stock. Since the bidding intensified, Warner Bros shares have risen to around $30, up from roughly $24 earlier this month.

The battle for Warner Bros highlights a high-stakes contest for influence in the U.S. media industry. Acquiring the studio would provide access to an extensive content library, including HBO programming and the DC Comics franchise, home to iconic characters such as Batman and Superman. Warner Bros’ stock has long been viewed as undervalued due to high debt and intense competition from streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple.

Netflix formally offered $82.7 billion for Warner Bros Discovery on December 5, a deal backed by the studio’s board. The agreement includes HBO Max and HBO content, with Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav describing it as combining “two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world.” If Warner Bros were to break its agreement with Netflix, it would owe the streaming service $2.8 billion in termination fees.

Paramount faces additional challenges, particularly regarding the financing of its bid. Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder, is a principal backer of Paramount Skydance’s offer, providing substantial equity and attracting other investors. His son, David Ellison, serves as chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance. Some analysts view the bid as potentially influenced by political considerations due to the Ellisons’ close ties to former President Donald Trump and their role as major Republican donors.

Trump himself publicly weighed in on the sale, insisting that CNN, owned by Warner Bros’ parent company, should be divested to ensure broader political balance. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, was initially listed as a backer of Paramount’s bid through his private equity firm, Affinity Partners, but the firm later withdrew from the financing consortium.

Trump has recently criticised Paramount, claiming he is not as close to the company as suggested. His remarks followed CBS’ cancellation of The Late Show, hosted by Stephen Colbert, and a $16 million defamation settlement linked to a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump said on social media that he felt the company had treated him worse than expected.

As Warner Bros Discovery prepares to guide shareholders on Paramount’s offer, the battle underscores the high stakes for control of one of Hollywood’s most valuable media and entertainment companies.