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Entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian is joining "The People's Bid for TikTok" as a strategic advisor. Project Liberty, a nonprofit aiming to build a "people-powered internet," announced Ohanian's addition to the bid in a news release on Monday, Mar. 3.
Led by billionaire founder Frank McCourt, Project Liberty's bid for TikTok was submitted to the app's parent company ByteDance earlier in 2025. The group aims to rebuild TikTok on a decentralized framework that prioritizes security for its 170 million American users while addressing concerns that led to a proposed ban.
Ohanian, a native of Brooklyn, New York, said his decision to join the bid aligns with his vision for improving how people communicate online.
"I've spent my entire career building tech that puts power back in people's hands – that's what got me excited about The People's Bid," said Ohanian. "This isn't just about TikTok, it's about fundamentally rewiring how the internet works."
The graduate of Howard High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, has been a key investor in several tech-based companies, including venture capital firm Seven Seven Six.
"Ohanian's role as strategic advisor for Project Liberty and The People's Bid for TikTok brings invaluable expertise to our initiative," McCourt said. "His unique vision and deep personal commitment to user empowerment through social media platforms align perfectly with our transformative approach."
The bid is centered on Frequency, a blockchain-based platform developed by Project Liberty that the group hopes will alleviate the national security concerns that led to the now-paused TikTok ban in the US.
"Frequency aims to reimagine social media so everyone actually owns and controls their own data," Ohanian said. "I'm stoked to team up with Frank and the Project Liberty crew to make this happen on a revitalized TikTok."
McCourt added that Frequency would create the foundation for a redesigned TikTok, giving creators direct ownership over their audience relationships.
"[Ohanian's] endorsement of Frequency underscores its potential to redefine the internet," said McCourt. "We are excited to have him on board as we work to usher in a new and better chapter for TikTok, and turn the momentum created from The People's Bid into building The People's Internet."
TikTok's legal future remains uncertain.
The platform briefly went dark in the US on Sunday, Jan. 19, after the Supreme Court upheld a federal divest-or-ban law. While TikTok was quickly restored, it remained missing from app stores until Thursday, Feb. 13, when Apple and Google relisted it.
Akamai, a company that delivers content for TikTok, noted in a February filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it could face "significant fines" and financial risks for continuing to support the app.
"It is difficult to predict whether the passed legislation will ultimately be enforced and whether any future judicial challenges brought against the executive order will be successful," Akamai wrote.
An executive order signed by President Donald Trump – who once advocated for banning TikTok – delayed enforcement of the ban until Saturday, Apr. 5. The extension allows ByteDance more time to potentially find a US-based buyer.
The People's Bid said it's different from other potential buyers because it doesn't want to acquire TikTok's algorithm.
"This is not an attempt to rinse and repeat the formula that has allowed Big Tech companies to reap enormous profits by scraping and exploiting user data," the group said. "The People's Bid will ensure that TikTok users control their data and experience by using the app on a rebuilt digital infrastructure that gives more power to users."
Other investors in The People's Bid include Kevin O'Leary, a Canadian businessman widely known from the TV show "Shark Tank", and capital firm Guggenheim Securities.
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