TikTok has introduced a new "Local Feed" feature in the U.S. that surfaces nearby events, businesses, and content based on users' locations. The feed, accessible from the home screen, showcases posts about travel, events, restaurants, and shopping from local creators and small businesses. TikTok USDS Joint Venture says posts are selected based on location, content topic, and timing.

Users must opt in to enable Precise Location, which is off by default and only shares data when the app is actively in use. TikTok emphasizes that location data is "protected in the TikTok USDS JV secure environment" and that the approach gives users control over their privacy. The company says it wants to make TikTok "useful, locally relevant, and trusted" with this update.

This rollout follows a similar "Nearby Feeds" feature launched in Europe last December. The Local Feed arrives as TikTok's U.S. operations undergo major changes following its transfer to the majority American-owned TikTok USDS venture in late January. The transition has faced challenges, including upload issues and flagged posts attributed to a data center power outage. The venture is 80.1 percent owned by U.S. and global investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX, with ByteDance retaining a 19.9 percent stake.