The US and Chinese governments are battling for control over the algorithm that powers TikTok, with the short-form video app trapped in a geopolitical tug of war over its future.ByteDance, the Beijing-based company that owns TikTok, has faced US demands that the app be sold to cut ties to its home country, while the Chinese government has taken legal measures to prevent any divestment without its consent.
The heart of the conflict is which country can lay claim to TikTok’s powerful algorithm, according to multiple people familiar with continuing deliberations and international legal experts.
The Chinese government is likely to block ByteDance from selling TikTok’s algorithm technology, according to experts and TikTok insiders. Beijing introduced a new export restriction to squash any deal without its approval when the Trump administration tried to ban the app in 2020.