Remember: In August 2020, Donald Trump ordered TikTok to find an American buyer for its operations in the United States. There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance is involved. […] May take actions that risk harming the national security of the United States »at the time, he accused Donald Trump. The former president accused the Chinese app, without any evidence, of seizing the personal data of its users on behalf of the Chinese secret services.
After rejecting Microsoft’s offers on the penalty of being shut out of the US market, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance quickly entered into negotiations with Oracle and Walmart. This financial deal was ultimately approved by the Trump administration. Once signed, Oracle would have a 12.5% stake in the Chinese app, compared to Walmart’s 7.5%. Ultimately, negotiations between the parties and the US government reached a stalemate. Donald Trump lost the election to Joe Biden, TikTok’s fate remains uncertain.
Joe Biden Reacts to Donald Trump’s TikTok Crackdown
According to an article by the Wall Street Journal published on February 10, 2021, Joe Biden refuses to force ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations to Oracle and WalmartThe new president of the United States, unlike his predecessor, does not want to force a Chinese company to partner with an American company. In effect, the financial deal between Oracle, Walmart and ByteDance would be forgotten.
According to information compiled by the media, the tenant of the White House is closely examining all Trump’s efforts to protect the national security of the United States from Chinese companies. Specifically, the administration is trying to determine whether TikTok and other Chinese applications (WeChat, etc.) will be allowed on American soil.
Officially, The management has not yet made its decision. “We are thoroughly assessing risks to US data, including TikTok’s, and will address them decisively and effectively.” Biden’s cabinet says press secretary. But, “familiar sources” Those familiar with the issue say Biden will take very different measures than his predecessor.
Biden administration seeks measures to protect Americans’ data
At any rate, Joe Biden is no longer giving ByteDance an ultimatum. However, Washington will take measures to protect the personal data of American users. Indeed, talks between ByteDance representatives and national security officials are currently ongoing. Like his predecessor, Biden wants to prevent Beijing from seizing the data of American citizens who register with TikTok.
Among the solutions examined by the two parties, we find the possibility of:a trusted third partyAn American company approved by the authorities is responsible for collecting and storing the data. Not surprisingly, it is Oracle that can host the data recovered by the application on servers located in the United States. Thanks to this, the United States will retain control over this information.
In this scenario, Oracle and Walmart would enter into a partnership, but it would not be an acquisition. Joe Biden is clearly aware that a sale would automatically be blocked by Chinese regulatorswants to keep TikTok’s predictive algorithms in China. A Chinese government decree bans Chinese companies from exporting technology such as artificial intelligence or content recommendation algorithms abroad.
“We plan to develop a comprehensive approach to securing U.S. data that addresses the full range of threats we face. This includes the risk posed by Chinese apps and other software operating in the U.S. We plan to review specific cases in the coming months to better understand the risks we face.” A spokesperson for the US National Security Council explains that the administration will make a decision specifically on WeChat, a messaging app of Chinese origin.
Source : Wall Street Journal
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