The White House announced on Saturday that an emerging TikTok agreement with China will ensure that U.S. companies control the app’s core algorithm and the majority of seats on a board overseeing U.S. operations.
The heart of the dispute between Washington and Beijing has been whether the popular social video platform would retain its algorithm following the potential divestment of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Legislation calling for a ban of TikTok has already been approved by Congress, slated to take effect in January. Nonetheless, President Donald Trump has repeatedly signed orders allowing TikTok to continue operations in the United States as his administration attempts to reach an agreement for ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, tech company Oracle will be responsible for the app’s data and security. She also confirmed that Americans will control six of the seven seats on the planned board.
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“We are 100% confident that a deal is done, now that deal just needs to be signed, and the president’s team is working with their Chinese counterparts to do just that,” Leavitt informed Fox News’ “Saturday in America”. This statement came a day after President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping discussed the TikTok deal in a lengthy phone call.
The evidence suggests that the algorithm, which fuels the content users see on the app, will also be “controlled by America”. American officials have expressed concern that the algorithm is susceptible to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who could potentially shape content on the platform in a way that is challenging to detect. After his call with Xi, Trump reassured that American investors were prepared and that the Chinese leader had been “a gentleman” regarding the matter. However, Trump was vague on the crucial question of whether China would retain control over the algorithm.
Leavitt asserted that Trump “recognized the need to protect Americans’ privacy and data while also keeping this app open,” adding that “TikTok is a vital part of our democratic process.” A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that about one-third of Americans said they supported a TikTok ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Approximately one-third opposed a ban, while a similar percentage were undecided.
Leavitt expressed her confidence that the agreement would be finalized soon. “Now we just need this deal to be signed,” she said. “And that will be happening, I anticipate, in the coming days.” As we understand it today, the situation remains fluid, and the outcome of the TikTok-China deal is eagerly awaited.
