Is the US-China TikTok deal a ‘win-win’ or a win for Beijing?

America may be ceding something more valuable than it realizes

- CATHERINE THORBECKE

TikTok's American future matters less to China than it does to the US.

(REUTERS)

When US President Donald Trump first brought up banning TikTok on perceived national security concemsmore than five yearsago, the app from Beijing-based ByteDance was the envy of the global tech industry.

Its powerful algorithm had rejuvenated atired social media landscape by keeping users engaged not just via posts from friends, but byendlessly recommending other content based on how they interacted with clips they came across. Beijing, however, drew ared line, saying there was no way ByteDance would give up itscrown jewel of the consumer tech industry. Chinese officials accused Washington of trying to plunder their private companiesand even updated export laws to prohibit a sale of TikTok’s secret sauce: itsalgorithm.

That uncompromising stance now appears to have softened, at least on the surface. While Trump has hailed an accord that ostensibly saves TikTok’s US operations, Beijing hasrevealed almost nothing about what was agreed. But state-backed media has repeatedly described it as a “win-win” in readouts. The purported deal has raised more questions than answers, but the biggest one Americans should ask is: What did Trump give up to save TikTok?