White House Announces Control of TikTok's Algorithm to Enhance National Security

Sat Oct 11 2025 06:00:34 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a significant move, the White House has outlined a potential deal that would enable U.S. companies to take control of TikTok's algorithm as part of a broader strategy to address national security concerns regarding the app's Chinese ownership.

The White House has declared that American companies will oversee TikTok's algorithm and that U.S. citizens will occupy six out of seven board positions for its operations in the United States. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that a formal agreement could be finalized soon, aimed at transferring operational control from Chinese parent company ByteDance due to national security fears. The deal also involves tech giant Oracle managing data privacy for U.S. users, amid ongoing negotiations with Beijing about TikTok's future.

The White House has announced that US companies will now control TikTok's algorithm and Americans will hold six of seven board seats for the app's US operations in a much-anticipated deal with China.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that a deal could be signed 'in the coming days', although Beijing has yet to comment.

The US government has been seeking to transfer TikTok's US operations away from Chinese parent company ByteDance, citing national security concerns.

Previously, TikTok was instructed to sell its US operations or face shutdown, a situation complicated by multiple delays under the Trump administration.

Leavitt spoke to Fox News, assuring that data and privacy will be managed by Oracle, owned by tech mogul Larry Ellison, with the algorithm also being under American control. 'All of those details have already been agreed upon. Now we just need this deal to be signed,' she emphasized.

This ongoing situation appears to pivot on negotiations regarding the ownership of TikTok's content-pushing algorithm, an essential aspect given the app's 170 million American users.

Despite initially advocating for a ban on TikTok, the Trump administration has shifted its approach, recently leveraging the platform during the 2024 electoral campaign to connect with younger voters.

As negotiations progress, the outcome remains uncertain, with the US Justice Department previously raising alarms about the potential national security risks tied to TikTok's data access.