Story perspectives

Trump's TikTok Order: ByteDance Must Divest U.S. Assets

10/8/2025

Center

Trump Permits TikTok

President Trump announces an executive order permitting TikTok to operate in the United States under restructured ownership.
ByteDance must divest American assets to U.S. investors, including Oracle and Silver Lake Partners.
The deal addresses national security and data privacy concerns amid U.S.-China competition.
In New York City, 12-year-old Zemfira Mukhtarov died while subway surfing; NYPD has implemented drone surveillance.

Right

Global Witness Exposes TikTok

Global Witness finds TikTok's algorithm promotes sexual content to 13-year-old users despite Restricted Mode.
Researchers created fake accounts to test recommendations and saw auto-suggestions reach explicit material.
Users report frustration with inappropriate search suggestions, suggesting the issue is widespread.
Global Witness previously reported similar findings in January; TikTok's response has not resolved the problem, raising ongoing youth-safety concerns.

History

Historical Context

In 2020, President Trump issued an executive order requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. operations, citing national security concerns amid escalating U.S.-China tensions. This followed scrutiny over TikTok's data practices, echoing earlier privacy issues highlighted by the 2013 NSA revelations. The ongoing debate over TikTok's ownership continues to influence discussions on digital safety and regulatory measures for social media platforms.

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Trump Permits TikTok

President Trump announces an executive order permitting TikTok to operate in the United States under restructured ownership.
ByteDance must divest American assets to U.S. investors, including Oracle and Silver Lake Partners.
The deal addresses national security and data privacy concerns amid U.S.-China competition.
In New York City, 12-year-old Zemfira Mukhtarov died while subway surfing; NYPD has implemented drone surveillance.

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