Sep 21, 2025 10:00:00

White House spokesperson details deal with China to keep TikTok open

The US government is urging ByteDance, the Chinese-owned short video platform, to sell its US operations to TikTok under

the Protecting Americans from Applications Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act (PAFACA). The White House press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, recently revealed that the deal had finally reached a 'framework' agreement.

TikTok Deal Gives Americans 6 of 7 Board Seats, Leavitt Says - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-20/tiktok-deal-gives-americans-6-of-7-board-seats-white-house-says

White House offers more details about potential TikTok deal | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/20/white-house-offers-more-details-about-potential-tiktok-deal/

In April 2024, the US government passed PAFACA, also known as the 'TikTok Ban Act,' which effectively mandated ByteDance to sell its US operations. The TikTok Ban Act required TikTok to sell its business by January 19, 2025, and if the sale was not completed, the TikTok app would become unavailable in the US.

The Trump administration has repeatedly delayed the implementation of the TikTok ban, seeking to prevent the app from becoming unavailable and allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. Finally, on September 15, 2025, it was announced that a 'framework' agreement had been reached with China regarding TikTok's continued business.

The US and China finally reach a 'framework' agreement regarding TikTok's business continuity - GIGAZINE

White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt revealed details of the agreement during an appearance on Fox News on September 20, 2025 local time.

According to Leavitt, TikTok's US business agreement allows six of the seven directors of the US business to be American.

It also allows the US to control TikTok's 'video feed recommendation engine,' the algorithm that decides which videos to show users.

'All the details have already been agreed upon, and all that remains is for the contract to be signed, which will likely happen in the coming days,' Leavitt said.

Additionally, Leavitt revealed that new investors in TikTok's US operations include Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake Management. Oracle will be responsible for TikTok's security and safety, and current parent company ByteDance will own less than 20% of the US business, Bloomberg reported.