Americans are set to occupy six out of seven seats on TikTok’s US board, leaving only one position to be named by ByteDance, according to statements from a senior White House official. This move comes as part of continued discussions aimed at keeping the widely used short-form video platform operating within US borders, even as lawmakers maintain their focus on data privacy and control issues.
A direct outcome of the dialogue between Washington and Beijing, this board arrangement places a clear majority of Americans in charge of TikTok’s US oversight.
The Chinese company ByteDance will be responsible for selecting a single board member. With this structure, US officials aim to strengthen their grip over the app’s domestic operations and address persistent worries over external influence on policy and moderation.
SAFEGUARDS FOR USER DATA AND OPERATIONAL BOUNDARIES
The proposal, outlined by a senior White House official, mandates that all personal data belonging to US users be housed exclusively on servers managed by Oracle, a US-based technology company. This requirement specifically targets fears surrounding unauthorised access by foreign actors, reinforcing technical controls for the US side of TikTok’s business.
DEAL MAKING AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
US President Donald Trump continues to push for the agreement’s completion to avoid a forced shutdown of TikTok in the American market, an outcome Congress decreed unless ByteDance sold the US portion of the business by January 2025. On Friday, Trump reported that a recent conversation with China’s President Xi Jinping yielded progress, and he indicated plans for a meeting in person within six weeks.
Officials in the Trump administration have confirmed that control of TikTok’s algorithm is central to the agreement. US authorities have repeatedly raised alarms that China might use the recommendation system to shape what appears on American users’ feeds.
According to a senior White House official, the agreement stipulates the algorithm “will be secured, retrained, and operated in the United States outside of ByteDance’s control.”
According to a senior White House official,
INTERNATIONAL CONTENT ACCESS REMAINS INTACT
Although the structure of TikTok’s US board and its oversight will shift, American users will remain able to view and engage with videos posted by people in other countries, as stated by the senior White House official. The changes outlined focus on governance and data protection, not limitations on global content circulation.
BYTEDANCE’S DIMINISHED SHARE IN THE US VENTURE
Further details from the official highlight that ByteDance’s stake in the joint entity managing TikTok’s US activities will fall below 20%. This step curtails ByteDance’s level of ownership and aims to meet regulatory expectations for decreased foreign involvement in the American operation.
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With inputs from Reuters