US to Dominate New TikTok Board Under White House Plan

20 September 2025

TikTok logo is placed on a U.S. flag in this illustration taken, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

A deal unveiled by the White House on September 20, 2025 would reshape TikTok’s U.S. operations with significantly increased American control. Under the proposed agreement Americans would hold six of the seven seats on a newly formed board responsible for overseeing the app in the U.S. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the arrangement in an interview with Fox News.

The arrangement comes as part of ongoing negotiations between Washington and Beijing aimed at addressing national security and data privacy concerns tied to TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, which is based in China. The new structure seeks to reduce perceived foreign influence and provide greater U.S. oversight.

One central component of the agreement is that the algorithm that drives recommendations on TikTok in the U.S. will be controlled under U.S. oversight. Leavitt said that control over the algorithm is crucial to ensuring that content generated or promoted in the U.S. follows privacy rules and security protocols acceptable under U.S. law.

Another facet of the deal is U.S. ownership and governance. The expectation is that U.S. investors will hold a majority stake and that governance structures will ensure Americans have decisive say in key operational decisions especially where user data, content moderation, and algorithmic transparency are involved. The final agreement is expected to be signed in the coming days.

China’s Commerce Ministry responded, maintaining that any negotiations must comply with China’s laws and regulations and that a solution should respect the interests of both sides. Beijing has emphasized the need for fair treatment and continued commercial opportunities for Chinese firms under these evolving arrangements.

For TikTok users, the change could lead to noticeable shifts in how content is curated or moderated, how user data is stored or accessed, and what kinds of security or privacy checks are applied. Experts say oversight and transparency will be key. Until now many concerns have centered on whether U.S. user data could be accessed by foreign actors or whether algorithmic decisions might reflect foreign pressure or bias.

Legally the proposal responds to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act passed by Congress in April 2024. That law requires apps like TikTok whose parent companies are based in foreign adversary countries to divest or face bans, especially when U.S. national security concerns are involved.

There are still unanswered questions. Who exactly will occupy those six seats? How much oversight will there be over ByteDance’s remaining ownership and influence? What specific legal and technical changes will accompany U.S. control of the algorithm? How the app’s operations will adapt under new governance remains to be seen.

Overall this agreement represents a landmark moment in the evolving intersection of technology, regulation, and geopolitics. It shows how governments are increasingly pushing for control over platforms that handle massive amounts of user data and influence public discourse. For TikTok the stakes are high: preserving its access to the U.S. market while navigating demands for security, privacy, and sovereignty.