Key Questions About The TikTok Deal: Jake Morabito in The Hill
With the framework for a pending TikTok deal approved, questions remain over ByteDance divestiture, algorithm control, and the looming December deadline.
Despite a recently announced deal to keep TikTok running in the United States, several questions still remain. A key sticking point is TikTok’s algorithm – where will it be housed, who will control it, and what role the CCP will actually play. ALEC Communications and Technology Senior Task Force Director Jake Morabito spoke with Julia Shapero of The Hill about those lingering questions.
President Trump said Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had approved a deal to keep TikTok running in the U.S. after months of uncertainty about the popular video-sharing app’s future under a 2024 law.
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After Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Monday that the U.S. had a “framework” for a TikTok deal, Chinese officials have suggested the agreement would entail licensing the app’s algorithm.
“Most people understand that TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is its secret sauce. That’s what makes it so compelling for 170 million Americans to use,” noted Jake Morabito, senior director of the communications and technology task force at the American Legislative Exchange Council.
This prospect has raised concerns about how such a deal would adhere to the law and address the national security risks at the heart of the TikTok ban.
“Does that fully resolve the entanglement concerns with the CCP and foreign adversaries if there’s still some connection between this new entity and ByteDance with these licensure requirements?” Morabito questioned.