US and China Close in on Deal for TikTok Sale Amidst National Security Concerns
In a significant development, the White House announced yesterday that a deal to put popular video-sharing platform TikTok under US ownership could be finalized as early as Thursday during a meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the two leaders will "consummate that transaction" on Thursday, marking the end of months of uncertainty about the fate of TikTok in the United States. The platform has been at the center of a contentious debate over national security concerns, with many lawmakers and officials expressing fears that China could use it to manipulate users.
The deal would mark a major shift for TikTok, which was set to go dark on January's deadline if it did not find a new owner in place of Chinese ByteDance. However, under President Donald Trump's executive orders, the platform has continued to operate while his administration tries to reach an agreement for the sale.
The deal is seen as a significant victory for US-China relations, but concerns remain about whether it will adequately address national security concerns. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund's Indo-Pacific program, stated that "China is happy to let Trump declare that they have finally kept a deal," but questioned whether the agreement would truly protect American data.
The deal also raises questions about consistency with US law, as Congress passed a bipartisan bill banning TikTok in the US if it did not find a new owner. About 43% of US adults under the age of 30 use TikTok regularly, and Americans are more closely divided on what to do about the platform than they were two years ago.
TikTok's algorithm has been at the center of the security debate over the platform, with concerns centered around its potential for manipulation by Chinese authorities. While no evidence has been presented by US officials proving that China has attempted to manipulate the algorithm, American officials have warned about its vulnerabilities.
The deal marks a significant moment in the ongoing US-China trade war and will be watched closely by lawmakers, officials, and the public alike.
In a significant development, the White House announced yesterday that a deal to put popular video-sharing platform TikTok under US ownership could be finalized as early as Thursday during a meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the two leaders will "consummate that transaction" on Thursday, marking the end of months of uncertainty about the fate of TikTok in the United States. The platform has been at the center of a contentious debate over national security concerns, with many lawmakers and officials expressing fears that China could use it to manipulate users.
The deal would mark a major shift for TikTok, which was set to go dark on January's deadline if it did not find a new owner in place of Chinese ByteDance. However, under President Donald Trump's executive orders, the platform has continued to operate while his administration tries to reach an agreement for the sale.
The deal is seen as a significant victory for US-China relations, but concerns remain about whether it will adequately address national security concerns. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund's Indo-Pacific program, stated that "China is happy to let Trump declare that they have finally kept a deal," but questioned whether the agreement would truly protect American data.
The deal also raises questions about consistency with US law, as Congress passed a bipartisan bill banning TikTok in the US if it did not find a new owner. About 43% of US adults under the age of 30 use TikTok regularly, and Americans are more closely divided on what to do about the platform than they were two years ago.
TikTok's algorithm has been at the center of the security debate over the platform, with concerns centered around its potential for manipulation by Chinese authorities. While no evidence has been presented by US officials proving that China has attempted to manipulate the algorithm, American officials have warned about its vulnerabilities.
The deal marks a significant moment in the ongoing US-China trade war and will be watched closely by lawmakers, officials, and the public alike.
so like what's good with this deal tho? on one hand china is gonna own tiktok which means they'll have access to us data... 
that can't be a good thing right? but at the same time we get to keep our fave app and avoid it getting shut down lol. i mean, 43% of us youngins use tiktok so like what's gonna happen if china takes over? will they just delete our vids or something? 
idk man, i think this deal is still a bit sketchy... 
it's been ages since tiktok was in limbo 
and i know lots of ppl were worried about their data security 
but now we might be able to put that behind us 
the fact that president joe biden is having a meeting with xi jingping in south korea to discuss this is major 
it's a huge step towards improving us china relations 
i'm not gonna lie, though, there are still some ppl who aren't convinced that chinese authorities won't find ways to manipulate tiktok's algorithm 
my friends are literally dying over the algorithm thing and how they're gonna lose access to their fave content... it's like is it safe or not? 
at least the us-China relations thing might improve, but still so many questions remaining 
like that's gonna solve everything... national security concerns are still gonna be there just 'cause we're buying it doesn't make china less sneaky lol anyway at least some people will have their algorithm back 
but seriously 43% of us teens use the thing so what's in it for them? maybe just more propaganda to spread or who knows 
#NationalSecurityMatters
#DataProtectionMatters
#USLawAndOrder
#TikTokDarkMode
#TheHashtagHero