Republican lawmaker raises concerns about TikTok divestiture deal

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By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party on Wednesday said he is concerned by reports a U.S.-China framework deal to shift app TikTok’s American assets to U.S.-controlled ownership would still allow Beijing to influence the app’s users.

“Based on initial reports, I am concerned the reported licensing deal may involve ongoing reliance by the new TikTok on a ByteDance algorithm and application that could allow continued CCP control or influence,” Representative John Moolenaar said in a statement. CCP refers to the Chinese Communist Party.

TikTok did not immediately comment.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s agreement with China would keep TikTok operating in the United States by transferring its U.S. assets to U.S. owners from China’s ByteDance, and is similar to a deal worked out earlier this year, three sources familiar with the new terms said.

TikTok U.S. would also likely still be able to access ByteDance’s algorithm under the new deal, two of the sources said, as China said this week it would review that kind of technology export and the licensing of intellectual property rights in accordance with the law.

Moolenaar’s concerns are centered around this access.

Congress passed a law in 2024 during the Biden Administration that required TikTok’s divestiture due to fears that its U.S. user data could be accessed by the Chinese government, allowing Beijing to spy on Americans or conduct influence operations through the app.

Several lawmakers have argued the 2024 law that required divestiture by January requires a complete separation between China and the United States for TikTok assets and that Trump has violated the law by allowing TikTok to continue to operate past the deadline under Chinese ownership.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; editing by Chris Sanders)