The writer is a strategic adviser and former counsellor for investment security at the Department of the Treasury during the Biden administration
The deal to sign over TikTok’s US operations to a joint venture led by American investors has ended a stubborn stand-off over one of the world’s most popular apps — and spared US President Donald Trump from implementing a politically costly ban. In practice, however, it amounts to a victory for TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance.
Trump first tried to ban TikTok in 2020 following concerns about China’s collection of the personal data of US citizens. ByteDance, which operates TikTok alongside its Chinese sister app Douyin, has spent the past five years navigating questions about the extent of Beijing’s leverage over its platforms.