BAD DEAL: Proposal to Save TikTok Would Leave Algorithm in China’s Hands

April 3, 2025

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From Breitbart: President Donald Trump is weighing a controversial proposal that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. while its powerful algorithm remains under the control of its Chinese parent company ByteDance.

The Washington Post reports that President Donald Trump is considering a plan to prevent TikTok from being banned in the U.S. that would allow the popular video app’s Chinese owner ByteDance to retain ownership of the critical algorithm powering its content recommendations. The proposal, one of several options being examined by the White House ahead of a Saturday deadline, would have U.S. investors increase their stake in TikTok while ByteDance continues to control the algorithm through a leasing arrangement.

The algorithm has been at the heart of national security concerns over TikTok, with critics warning it could allow China to influence what American users see on the app. Trump has until Saturday to approve a deal that would transfer TikTok’s U.S. operations to American buyers or the app will face a nationwide ban under legislation passed by Congress last year.

During a White House meeting on Wednesday, Trump discussed the TikTok issue with top officials including Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, national security adviser Michael Waltz and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Neither ByteDance nor the Chinese government has indicated if they would accept such an arrangement involving the prized algorithm.