Experts explore the potential of the U.S.-China TikTok deal
After years of uncertainty about the fate of the popular social media app TikTok, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a deal reached with Chinese negotiators that could allow TikTok to continue operating in America. President Donald Trump has repeatedly postponed the enforcement of a law requiring TikTok to either part ways with the Chinese company that owns it or shut down in the U.S.
Details of the deal remain scarce. Virginia Tech communications and social media experts Megan Duncan, James Ivory and Cayce Myers shared insights on the multitude of issues informing the deal and on what the plan agreed upon with China could mean.
Megan Duncan on government involvement in social media regulation
“This announcement could be the beginning of the end of a protracted political debate about the role of government in social media platforms. Popular discourse, congressional hearings, judicial cases, and executive orders have all contributed in the past five years to how we get to this summit in Madrid and this cursory announcement of an international deal,” Duncan said.
“Because social media platforms play such a strong role in expressing public opinion, exposing the public to the variety of opinions, and organizing for offline activities, federal governments take seriously the potential for abuse by the platform gatekeepers. In the case of TikTok, the gatekeepers are headquartered outside of the U.S., so the ownership and location of the data servers of TikTok got wrapped up in layers of international diplomacy,” she said.
“I love to use the TikTok issue as an example for young people of why politics and elections have a direct impact on their lives. The ban on use of TikTok and WeChat on Virginia Tech-owned devices and Wi-Fi and the 16 hours students spent without access to TikTok in January are direct results of politics,” Duncan said.
James Ivory on the roots of the agreement and implications for business
“This possible deal has been a long time coming, as the White House has imposed and extended several deadlines for ByteDance to make a sale or lose access to the United States market,” Ivory said.
“The years-long discussion about banning TikTok in the U.S. has roots in concerns about United States citizens’ personal data being vulnerable to access by the Chinese government — but this possible deal is part of much broader strategic maneuvering in the tense economic relationship between the U.S. and China. Any concessions from ByteDance, for example, are likely motivated at least in part by China’s desire to host a summit with President Trump. The negotiations are also part of a broader context of trade tensions between the nations that include tariff activity from both countries and ongoing Chinese regulations directed at U.S. chip manufacturer Nvidia,” he said.
“The White House’s role in the negotiations is also part of a continuing tendency for the president to pursue a very hands-on role in molding private business activity. Regardless of how the TikTok deal unfolds, we can expect the White House to continue to be deeply involved in individual companies' business activities,” Ivory said.
Cayce Myers on the biggest issues to watch for
“It’s a win for TikTok in that the app will continue to be available in the United States. The question is, how does this impact the user experience and the related concerns over the platform’s transparency and data protection? The biggest unknown at this point is what happens to the algorithm, which is the most valuable, and controversial, aspect of the platform,” Myers said.
“The Trump administration has been particularly open to preserving the platform’s access, so this deal should come as no surprise to those who have been watching this legal issue unfold. What has emerged in the deal is a larger geopolitical discussion about trade and China’s domestic and international political positioning,” he said.
About Duncan
Megan Duncan is an associate professor in the School of Communication. Her research focuses on how partisans judge the credibility of and engage with the news. Using survey-embedded experiments, surveys, and other quantitative methods, she’s interested in knowing more about audiences, their perceptions of the news, how they form opinions, and how to use this knowledge to make democracy stronger.
About Ivory
James Ivory is a professor of scientific and technical communication in the Department of English. His primary research interests deal with social and psychological dimensions of new media and communication technologies, particularly the content and effects of video games, virtual environments, and simulations.
About Myers
Cayce Myers is the director of graduate studies at the School of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. He specializes in media history, political communication, and laws that affect public relations practice.
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