On Thursday, President Donald Trump executed an order facilitating the sale of TikTok’s U.S. business to a group of investors, notably including several of his supporters. While this action aims to settle years of debate surrounding the Chinese-owned application, it simultaneously introduces fresh concerns regarding potential political leanings within the platform.
The investor group comprises figures such as Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, media magnate Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan from Fox Corporation, and Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell. This collection of Trump allies has sparked apprehensions among some that they might wield political sway over TikTok’s American iteration.
Nevertheless, during the White House signing event, Trump dismissed these worries, asserting that the reconfigured platform would not serve as a mouthpiece for his political agenda. “I always favor things related to MAGA. If it were up to me, I’d make it entirely MAGA-centric,” Trump commented from the Oval Office. “However, that’s not how it will unfold. Regrettably, everyone will receive impartial treatment. Each group, ideology, and policy will be handled with utmost fairness.”
This agreement follows years of national security officials’ cautions that TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, might be utilized by China to gather intelligence or influence the content seen by its 170 million U.S. users. Trump’s executive order represents the most recent development in a lengthy effort to address these issues while ensuring the application remains accessible to its extensive American user base.
The executive order designates the proposed structure as a “qualified divestiture,” in line with a bipartisan congressional law from the previous year. This legislation compels ByteDance to sell approximately 80% of its U.S. operations to non-Chinese entities, or face a ban within the U.S. As part of the evolving agreement, ByteDance will maintain under 20% ownership, with the American investor group overseeing the U.S. spin-off. While Trump’s executive action signifies a crucial point in this multi-year narrative, the deal’s ultimate completion is still pending, with significant elements—such as the complete list of investors and necessary regulatory clearances—yet to be confirmed.
Vice President J.D. Vance, who spearheaded the discussions with ByteDance, characterized the agreement as a victory for national security. Speaking at the signing ceremony, he stated, “Our objective was to keep TikTok operational, while also ensuring the protection of American users’ data privacy, as legally mandated.” He elaborated, “This arrangement truly allows Americans to engage with TikTok, but with greater assurance than before, knowing their data will be secure and not weaponized for propaganda against our citizens.”
Vance further indicated that the reconfigured entity would carry an estimated valuation of $14 billion. He emphasized that “American investors will, in fact, govern the algorithm,” which had been a primary stipulation from legislators concerned that the Chinese government might influence political discussions via the application.
The Biden Administration had previously urged ByteDance to divest its U.S. TikTok operations, engaging in discussions with the company over a framework to subject American user data to more stringent domestic scrutiny. In 2024, then-President Joe Biden enacted a bipartisan congressional law that explicitly authorized presidents to prohibit or compel the sale of foreign-owned applications deemed national security threats—a prerogative Trump is now exercising to sanction an agreement that transfers TikTok to a group of U.S. investors, rather than imposing a ban.
TikTok experienced a brief shutdown in the United States during January, prior to Trump instructing his administration to halt the enforcement of a looming ban on his inaugural day back in office. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was present at Trump’s inauguration, afforded a prominent seat on the platform alongside essential cabinet members and other prominent technology figures.
On Thursday, Trump personally addressed the political leverage of TikTok, mentioning his utilization of the application to engage with younger constituents during his 2024 campaign. He stated, “We secured an unprecedented number of votes from young voters.” He added, “Consequently, I held a slight bias in favor of TikTok—it proved highly effective and significant.”
According to the Pew Research Center, forty-three percent of adults under the age of 30 obtain their news through TikTok.