TikTok Decay: What the New TOS Mean for Queer/BIPOC Communities

TikTok Decay: What the New TOS Mean for Queer/BIPOC Communities

This week, Tiktok officially ended a long battle with the U.S. government and officially transferred its American operations to TikTok USDS Join Venture LLC. Under an ownership structure designed to bypass a permanent ban, parent company ByteDance was forced to divest its majority control, retaining only a 19.9% stake, while a consortium of American and allied investors led by Oracle, Silver Lake, and the UAE-based MGX seized 80.1% of the new entity. This transition officially moves the app’s "brain", its recommendation algorithm, also known as the For Your Page (FYP), onto Oracle’s U.S. servers to be "retrained" on domestic data, placing the platform's content moderation and data security under a majority-American board of directors.

About Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison is the billionaire co-founder and CTO of Oracle whose career began with a 1977 CIA contract to build a relational database, a foundation that has kept his company deeply entwined with U.S. intelligence and law enforcement for nearly fifty years. Known for his aggressive "digital landlord" business model, Ellison is a vocal proponent of AI-powered mass surveillance, famously predicting a future where "citizens will be on their best behavior" because AI cameras and unified national databases will constantly record and report on their activities. Beyond his role as the technological steward of TikTok’s new U.S. data vault, Ellison has consolidated significant control over the American narrative as a media monopolist, owning a majority stake in Paramount Global (the parent company of CBS and MTV) and championing a vision of a "single national security database" that critics warn poses a unique threat to the privacy and digital sovereignty of marginalized communities.

How This Change Impacts Your Communities

Here at the LED Queens Strategy Lab we provide strategy for Queer/BIPOC content creators, entrpreneurs and small brands. The impact of this new change in ownership, operations and TOS is far-reaching and complex. In order to break down systems of oppression, you and your community must educated themselves on the way that "free" tech products take from you in exchange for your screen time and one of your most precious assets: your data. Below we have outlined what you are saying no to when you say yes to the new TOS.

1. The Algorithm is Getting a U.S. Makeover (and it might hit different)

What's Changing: Your beloved "For You Page" algorithm, once crafted by ByteDance in China, is now being retrained and managed by a U.S.-led team, hosted on Oracle's U.S. servers. What We're Saying "No" To (and "Yes" To):

  • No more truly global algorithm: The old  algorothm offered most users a glimpse into the thoughts and opinions of many diverse folks all around the world, since anyone can speak into the camera on TikTok and show one's version of reality around the globe. The FYP often allowed for unexpected, diverse content to break through, sometimes bypassing traditional gatekeepers.
  • Yes to a U.S.-centric algorithm: This new version will be specifically shaped by U.S. user data and corporate interests. For queer/BIPOC creators, this means we need to be vigilant. Will the new algorithm prioritize mainstream content? Will it favor fascistic, white supremacist and colonizer content? We need to watch how it impacts discoverability for niche communities. And if needed, you and your kin network need to have a triage plan in place. We saw the way the Twitter platform decayed when it transformed into X. Though we don't yet know what will happen with Tiktok's new transfer, the Twitter case study is a cautionary tale.

2. ByteDance Control Gets Transferred to U.S. Board 

What's Changing: While ByteDance still has a small stake, a majority-American board now calls the shots for U.S. operations. What We're Saying "No" To (and "Yes" To):

  • No more ByteDance's direct operational control: This was often a black box, but it was different.
  • Yes to a new American power structure: This means new "Trust and Safety" protocols. We've seen platforms claim "safety" while simultaneously silencing marginalized voices. We need to critically ask: Will this new board understand the cultural nuances and systemic biases that often lead to disproportionate moderation against queer and BIPOC creators? Will their definition of "safety" truly protect us, or will it create new barriers? Advocacy and community reporting will be more crucial than ever.

3. U.S. Data Stays in the U.S. (But Who Else is Looking?)

What's Changing: All U.S. user data is now strictly stored in Oracle's "secure U.S. cloud environment." What We're Saying "No" To (and "Yes" To):

  • No more global data flow: Your data isn't mingling directly with the international ByteDance pool.
  • Yes to U.S.-only data storage: While framed as "security," this means your data is squarely within reach of U.S. laws and corporate access. As queer and BIPOC individuals, we often have heightened privacy concerns. We need to be aware that this "walling off" primarily serves U.S. national interests and potentially U.S. commercial interests. This doesn't inherently mean more privacy for us, just a different geographical location for its management.

4. Stricter AI & Commercial Rules are Coming (Get Ready to Label!)

What's Changing: New rules for explicitly labeling AI-generated content/deepfakes and stricter toggles for "branded content." What We're Saying "No" To (and "Yes" To):

  • No more ambiguity: The wild west of unlabeled AI or subtle brand mentions is over.
  • Yes to explicit disclosure: For entrepreneurs and creators leveraging TikTok for income, this is HUGE.
    • AI Disclosure: If you're using AI for visuals, voiceovers, or scripts, you MUST label it. Failure to do so could lead to "shadowbans" or account suspension – a death knell for small businesses.
    • Commercial Transparency: Are you promoting your small business, a product you love, or a service? Use the official "branded content" toggles. The new algorithm is designed to throttle reach if you don't. This is about protecting our income and ensuring our content reaches our audience without being silently suppressed.

Shifts In Social Trends

Never forget that social media apps ultimately are the tools of the colonizer. It wasn't always that way. We have seen the culture of Silicon Valley decay and degrade for more than 30 years as greed, corporate interest and conflation with political and governement bodies compromise the ownership of most social media apps. If you choose to stay on any of these platforms, know your rights, lock down your privacy settings, and be strategic about what you consume and post. Social media is not forever. We will see it evolve and perhaps even take a backseat to other tools as technology evolves. But in the short term, stay very aware of what you're agreeing to every time major ownership changes happen. 

Sources

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