December 8, 2025 | The Washington Post
Two words for investors in the future TikTok: Buyer, beware
The U.S. law and Trump’s executive order leave significant potential for Chinese control.
December 8, 2025 | The Washington Post
Two words for investors in the future TikTok: Buyer, beware
The U.S. law and Trump’s executive order leave significant potential for Chinese control.
Excerpt
As President Donald Trump rushes to finalize TikTok’s new ownership structure, prospective investors should be careful in assuming the coast is clear. It probably isn’t.
The proposed divestiture deal for the Chinese-owned app, which still needs Beijing’s blessing, rests on an executive order that bends the law it claims to uphold. Even if the deal proceeds, its design leaves investors navigating dual uncertainties: the apparent illegality of continued Chinese control over TikTok’s algorithm and the lingering legal authority of U.S. courts, Congress or a future president to revisit the deal.
Matt Pottinger, deputy White House national security adviser from 2019 to 2021, chairs the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Craig Singleton is a senior fellow at the foundation.