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The legal challenges that lie ahead for TikTok — in both the US and China
Having lost its fight in Congress, TikTok faces a tough battle in US courts and with China’s own export controls.
Due to export restrictions on technology developed in China, the company would need the Chinese government’s permission to sell the software that powers its recommendations and keeps users scrolling through the app for hours on end — in other words, what’s popularly described as its algorithm. “I believe China will not agree to the sale of TikTok, the USA platform, because it probably feels at this point that they’ve got a gun to their head,” says Arthur Dong, teaching professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business who specializes in US-China relations and international economics. “If TikTok is really just a harmless video app, then the Chinese government should want to view it as a massive business success story and take validation in it being sold to an American owner for a really high price,” said Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of center-left tech industry group Chamber of Progress.
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