McCourt’s Bold Vision for TikTok
McCourt, who insists he’s not interested in becoming TikTok’s CEO, stands out in the crowded field of potential buyers. Unlike the others, he’s been openly vocal about his intentions, expressing his desire to buy the app in numerous interviews, even appearing on Trump’s favorite show, Fox & Friends. He’s the only buyer publicly pledging to act in the public’s best interest—not just addressing geopolitical issues but also tackling TikTok’s harmful effects on younger users. Yet, some skeptics doubt the feasibility of his “people’s bid.” Democratic tech lobbyist Adam Kovacevich warns that Project Liberty faces huge obstacles. If China permits a sale, McCourt would still be up against giants like Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Musk’s X. Kovacevich believes McCourt’s push is more about gaining visibility for his broader mission of creating healthier social media platforms. “A nonprofit is going to get outbid,” he says.
The Summit on the Future of the Internet
In November, just weeks after Trump’s win, Project Liberty hosted The Summit on the Future of the Internet at Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy, a school McCourt himself endowed. The event exemplified his billionaire connections, bringing together politicians like Amy Klobuchar and Ro Khanna, technologists such as Jay Graber and Joe Lubin, as well as TikTok creators, think tanks, and even grieving parents. One attendee, South Carolina lawmaker Brandon Guffey, whose son tragically took his life after being targeted in a sexual-extortion scheme on Instagram, sat nearby. McCourt, dressed casually in a dark knit sweater and jeans, stepped onto the stage with a headset. “You’re going to hear the word ‘data’ over and over again,” he announced. “Every time you hear it, I want you to think ‘personhood.’ Your data is you in the digital age. Don’t you want to own you?”
The Push for a Decentralized Internet
Project Liberty is part of a larger push for a decentralized Internet, where users control their own data and can easily transfer their online identities across platforms. The aim is interoperability—creating a seamless way for users to move between platforms without losing their communities or followers. The fediverse, a network of decentralized social media sites like Mastodon and Meta’s Threads, embodies this vision. Bluesky, while not fully part of the fediverse, shares its spirit, offering an easy connection through services like Bridgy Fed. Project Liberty envisions its own contribution to decentralization: the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (D.S.N.P.), which could be used by social media and ridesharing apps to give users more control over their identity and protect them from being deplatformed.
The Challenges of D.S.N.P.
So far, only the social-media site MeWe has fully adopted Project Liberty’s D.S.N.P., migrating around 1.5 million users to it. Bluesky currently boasts more than 27 million users. One anonymous technologist, who has received funding from Project Liberty, voiced skepticism about D.S.N.P.’s practicality, describing it as “vaporware.” McCourt’s ultimate goal for purchasing TikTok is to bring its user base onto Project Liberty’s decentralized protocol, but he insists he has no interest in TikTok’s algorithm. “I have zero interest in maintaining a version of TikTok that’s just replicating the algorithm and scraping people’s data,” he says. His vision for the app is to create “an alternative Internet” where other platforms will eventually follow the decentralized model, responding to consumer demand.
What Will a Project Liberty-Run TikTok Look Like?
The details of what a Project Liberty-owned version of TikTok would actually look like remain unclear. A recent press release from the group promised that the transition to this new infrastructure would “minimize interruption for TikTokers,” but without its algorithm, the experience of the app would undoubtedly change. Some critics believe this approach is backwards. “McCourt seems to be saying, ‘Let’s use my money to acquire users,’” said one technologist. “Bluesky’s approach is, ‘We’ll just build the product, and when people need to leave, they will come here.’” McCourt, however, defends his strategy, saying, “I haven’t parachuted in. I’ve been working on this for more than ten years.”
Bluesky’s Approach: A Marketplace of Algorithms
When asked about Project Liberty’s pitch, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber raised concerns about D.S.N.P.’s scalability. “I think everybody who’s in the interoperability conversation is, like, ‘Well, you should use my protocol, and then we’ll be interoperable with everyone,’” she said. Graber also pointed out the challenge of getting widespread adoption for a new protocol. She shared her view on TikTok’s algorithm: “A huge amount of the controversy is driven by how the algorithm works, and the fact that there’s only one algorithm, and it can be quite addictive.” Bluesky’s approach allows users to customize their own algorithms, giving them more control over the content they see. A U.S.-owned TikTok might take a similar approach, offering users the option to tailor what content they’re exposed to.
The Future of Internet Privacy: Log in with Liberty
At the summit, Project Liberty also launched Log in with Liberty, a new initiative that allows users to browse the web while maintaining control over their data. A video played at the event presented the concept: imagine a single online identity where users control their personal information, own their connections, and can move freely across platforms. While the details remain vague, the service aims to offer a non-corporate alternative to login systems like Facebook and Google. McCourt sees acquiring TikTok as a way to provide millions of new users with this data-autonomous option.
McCourt’s Personal Journey
As we toured McCourt’s expansive estate, his personal journey seemed intertwined with his professional endeavors. He led me through a wooded preserve filled with his own stone installations, including a floating sphere created in 2019 after the death of his mother and the birth of his son. McCourt reflected on the changes this period brought: “It was the same year I started planning Project Liberty.” His desire to “see what you didn’t see before” seemed to guide both his art and his ambitions for the future of the Internet.
A Bold Vision for the Future
At the Project Liberty summit, McCourt expressed concern that his broader Internet project was being overshadowed by the buzz around TikTok’s sale. Still, he remained hopeful. “I do think it’s going to be sold,” he said. “Now play that out—is it an insider-type deal and nothing changes except the ownership? Or is it an opportunity to start fixing the Internet, not just fix TikTok?”
McCourt’s political donations have leaned toward Democratic candidates, but he remains optimistic about the future, particularly regarding blockchain’s role in the tech landscape. “I think with Trump, projects like this have just gotten a huge, huge boost because of his belief in blockchain,” he said. “That’s way bigger for this project than TikTok.
