TikTok Lives: US, China Reach Deal
Beijing has said the US spin-off of TikTok to be sold to American investors in a deal orchestrated by President Donald Trump will use parent company ByteDance’s Chinese algorithm.Wang Jingtao, deputy head of China’s powerful cyber security regulator, on Monday said US and Chinese officials had agreed a framework that included “licensing the algorithm and other intellectual property rights”.
He said ByteDance would “entrust the operation of TikTok’s US user data and content security”, without elaborating.
TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm has been at the heart of a geopolitical tug of war over the short-video app since the first Trump administration, when Beijing unveiled export controls on algorithms to thwart a forced sale of the app.
The artificial intelligence algorithm underpins the app’s prized ability to serve up addictive videos tailored to individual users, but has also raised fears among national security hawks that it could be manipulated to push Chinese propaganda or polarising material to users.
US officials have insisted any deal must ensure TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is fully severed from ByteDance, warning continued co-operation could allow Beijing to maintain influence over the content seen by Americans.
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