President Trump recently announced that a new company would control TikTok’s powerful algorithm in the United States. Its owners include Larry Ellison’s Oracle, a U.A.E. AI company, and – wait for it – the platform’s Chinese Communist Party-controlled founder, Bytedance. TikTok’s Chinese CEO will serve on its Board of Directors.
How exactly this will work with respect to the CCP’s toxic weaponization of TikTok remains to be seen. The continuing involvement of Chinese nationals and the parent company is concerning. So is the fact that TikTok’s surveillance, propaganda and influence operations will persist outside the U.S. on platforms supposed to be seamlessly accessible to American users.
President Trump credits Chinese dictator Xi Jinping with approving this deal. Probably that’s because Xi’s sure the CCP will still be able to addict, disinform, manipulate and mobilize young Americans – and profit handsomely in the process.
This is Frank Gaffney.
