Concerns are mounting in Washington over the proposed licensing deal for TikTok’s core algorithm, with Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, warning Thursday that the arrangement could give Beijing lingering control over the platform’s technology.
The deal, part of ByteDance’s plan to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations, would reportedly allow new American owners to license the algorithm that powers the app’s recommendations — a structure that Moolenaar called “deeply problematic.”
“I think anytime you have China with leverage over the algorithm, that’s a problem,” Moolenaar said during an event at the Hudson Institute. He added that experts remain uncertain about how easily the system could be reprogrammed to remove Chinese influence.
President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed September 25, approved the sale plan and set a 120-day deadline for completion, delaying enforcement of the 2024 law that bans TikTok in the U.S. unless ByteDance divests. The order stipulates that the algorithm will be retrained, monitored, and operated under American oversight.
ByteDance will retain less than 20% ownership in TikTok U.S., with Americans holding the majority of board seats. Still, critics say that any ongoing access to the algorithm’s design could leave the U.S. vulnerable to foreign influence or data manipulation.
TikTok has not commented on the issue.
