TikTok sale: Algorithm question said to complicate deal, says report

Sale talks for TikTok’s US operations have been complicated by the key question of whether the app's core algorithms can be included as part of a deal, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal that cited unidentified people familiar with the matter. 

Those algorithms decide what videos users see without first requiring them to follow other users or specify their preferences. 

The Journal report stated the algorithms were considered part of the deal negotiations up until Friday.

That's when the Chinese government introduced export restrictions on artificial intelligence technology.  AP/PTI