US lawmakers say TikTok joint venture deal needs scrutiny from Congress [View all]

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

January 23, 2026 5:08 PM EST Updated 11 hours ago


WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Some U.S. lawmakers on Friday said a deal by TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance to establish a majority American-owned joint venture to avoid a U.S. ban on the social media app needs scrutiny from Congress.

Representative Jack Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House select committee on China, said the committee would conduct oversight of the deal finalized Thursday, adding China "cannot be allowed to weaponize an app to divide and weaken our country. Does this deal ensure China does not have influence over the algorithm? Can the parties involved assure Americans their data is secure? Those are questions that need to be answered."

Democratic Senator Ed Markey said the deal left many key questions unanswered. "The White House has provided virtually no details about this agreement, including whether TikTok’s algorithm is truly free of Chinese influence. This lack of transparency reeks," Markey said. "Congress has a responsibility to investigate this deal, demand transparency, and ensure that any arrangement truly protects national security while keeping TikTok online.”

The White House and TikTok did not immediately comment on Markey's criticism. TikTok is used by more than 200 million Americans. ByteDance said TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC would secure U.S. user data, apps and algorithms through data privacy and cybersecurity measures. It disclosed few details about the divestiture.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/senator-says-congress-must-investigate-tiktok-deal-faults-lack-details-2026-01-23/

---

Link to Senator Markey STATEMENT - Senator Markey Statement on TikTok Deal

REFERENCE - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143603433