TikTok has seen a sharp uptick in users removing the app since the company revealed plans to place its U.S. operations under a new joint venture structure.

The average number of daily deletions by American users jumped nearly 150% following the announcement, according to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, signaling a notable shift in user behavior tied to the restructuring news.

The platform was wholly owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. However, amid concerns that the Chinese government could access Americans’ data and influence content trends on the app, President Donald Trump moved to ban TikTok for American users in August 2020. TikTok responded with a lawsuit, and a federal court issued an injunction preventing the ban from taking effect. After taking office, former President Joe Biden revoked Trump’s orders, effectively halting the effort.

In 2024, Congress passed legislation requiring ByteDance to either sell the app or face a nationwide ban. After returning to the White House, Trump signed a series of executive orders delaying enforcement deadlines while working to broker a deal that would shift ownership away from China-based ByteDance to a U.S. firm, possibly led by Oracle and a group of American investors.

Jan. 23,........

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