TikTok is reportedly working on another version of its application to technically divest its U.S business from ByteDance in case of required divestiture in the future. This initiative, on an internal memo reported by Reuters, is in anticipation of a time when U.S. law compels a sale.

Highlights:

• TikTok engineers are building a separate app version.
• This "app separation" aims to sever technical ties to ByteDance.
• The project is a contingency for U.S. legislative action.
• ByteDance would license TikTok's algorithm to the new U.S. entity.
• Achieving full app separation remains technically complex.

This App-separation program is an answer to the political pressure exerted on the U.S. over data security. The central goal is the development of a legal platform structure in the United States. ByteDance would rent the algorithm, yet the new version of the app extracts the data and activities of the U.S. users to attend to the national security issues.

The separation of apps project involves restructuring combined code and systems that are shared with ByteDance. The engineers will have to recreate essential features only in the new application on U.S. soil. This separation of the apps is a technically tasking process to achieve proper operational independence.

This is taking place with the progression of U.S-based laws against TikTok. TikTok confirms that a forced sale is impossible, as it can end with a closure. The new version of the app is a technological move in favor of the imposed app division, showing the adoption of the requirements in case of continuing the legal confrontation.