Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has officially joined forces with billionaire Frank McCourt in a bid to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations, according to a recent TechCrunch report. This collaboration aims to reshape the future of the popular social media platform by prioritizing user privacy and data control—a cornerstone of McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative.
McCourt is one of a number of potential suitors interested in acquiring the U.S. assets of TikTok, whose Jan. 19 ban was delayed by 75 days by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
Ohanian, a prominent tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist, brings his expertise in scaling online communities to McCourt’s coalition. In a statement, he emphasized the need for “a user-first approach that empowers creators and safeguards data sovereignty.” McCourt, known for his advocacy of decentralized web infrastructure, has positioned his bid as a corrective to what he calls the “toxic algorithms” dominating social media.
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The move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of TikTok’s ties to its China-based parent company, ByteDance. While competitors like Oracle and Microsoft have previously explored acquisition deals, McCourt’s bid uniquely focuses on migrating TikTok’s infrastructure to an open-source, decentralized framework. Project Liberty’s team claims this would prevent governments or corporations from monopolizing user data.
Industry analysts remain divided on the bid’s viability. Some argue that McCourt’s vision aligns with growing regulatory demands for transparency, while others question the technical complexity of decentralizing a platform with 170 million U.S. users. A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing acquisition discussions but reiterated the company’s commitment to data security.
Ohanian’s involvement adds star power to McCourt’s campaign, leveraging his Reddit legacy and influence in Silicon Valley. Whether this bid succeeds or not, it underscores a pivotal moment for social media’s evolution—one where privacy and corporate accountability take center stage.
