Perplexity AI, a US-based search engine company, has submitted a bid to merge with TikTok US, as per a recent report by Reuters. The proposal, submitted to TikTok’s parent company ByteDance on Saturday, was first reported by CNBC and confirmed by a source familiar with the discussions.

A US federal court has ruled that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, must sell its US operations by January 19, 2025, or the app will be banned nationwide. The decision is being seen as a major win for the Justice Department, which has raised concerns about TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government, but it is a significant setback for ByteDance.

A critical ruling that could shape the future of TikTok in the United States is expected from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by December 6. The case centres on a controversial law requiring ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to divest its US operations by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.

The algorithm behind TikTok's content recommendations has once again drawn mainstream attention following the recent US ruling for ByteDance, its Chinese owner, to divest its US assets or risk a nationwide ban of the app. Here is a breakdown of how TikTok's algorithm operates and why it is generating so much discussion recently.