Information
The United States and China have reached a preliminary agreement regarding TikTok, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Monday. Under the framework, the popular video-sharing platform would remain operational in the US, but transition to U.S.-controlled ownership. Bessent noted that President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to finalise the deal during a scheduled call on Friday. The arrangement comes amid heightened scrutiny of TikTok, which has amassed massive popularity among young users worldwide, including millions in the United States.
The negotiations stem from longstanding concerns in Washington over how TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, manages US user data and the potential influence of the Chinese government. Last year, Congress threatened to ban the app unless ByteDance divested its controlling stake, prompting Trump to impose a series of deadlines that he repeatedly extended. The current deadline, now set for September 17 after a 90-day extension in June, would force TikTok to find a US buyer or face a ban. Talks in Madrid between US and Chinese officials, part of a wider trade dispute, produced the framework deal, though Beijing’s delegation and ByteDance have yet to issue formal responses.
Source: AFP, AP, Reuters
So What
The structure of this deal will be interesting to analyse, particularly in terms of how much China was willing to concede to finalise the agreement regarding TikTok. It is ironic that ByteDance has consistently denied any connections to the Chinese government, yet it is evident that China has actively participated in negotiations on the company’s behalf. Regardless, it appears that TikTok is here to stay, raising concerns about the potential for information operations conducted through the platform, which is a topic for future discussion.
Follow us to join the intelligence community!