TikTok Signs Deal To Sell US Unit To American Investor-Led Venture
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ByteDance Signs Deal for TikTok US Joint Venture
Does TikTok's sale free it from Chinese control, or is it a sham divestment keeping the algorithm in Beijing's hands?
Above: A phone displaying the TikTok logo against a backdrop of the Chinese flag. Image credit: Unsplash
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
TikTok's sale to American investors finally frees the platform from Chinese control and protects national security. The deal ensures majority American ownership through Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX. A seven-member board dominated by Americans will oversee operations and safeguard American users' data from foreign influence.
Anti-Trump narrative
This deal is a sham divestment that leaves TikTok's core technology in Chinese hands while pretending to address security concerns. ByteDance retains ownership of the underlying algorithm and keeps a 20% stake, meaning the structure looks more like a franchise arrangement than the clean break Congress demanded to eliminate covert data access risks.