How a new U.S.-flavored algorithm will alter the experience of TikTok

A rumored split between TikTok’s algorithm in the United States and the computer code running the app elsewhere could put off users—and destroy TikTok’s secret sauce.

The secret of TikTok’s success since its launch has been its algorithm, which presents videos to its 170 million users in the United States. The ability to synthesize users’ interests and keep them scrolling has been the reason the app has grown stratospherically—and is part of the reason why the average user spends more time on the app than watching the average feature film.