China expert Gordon Chang told Newsmax on Thursday that the most critical piece of President Donald Trump's newly announced TikTok agreement with Beijing is not ownership or data storage, but the curation algorithm that determines what Americans see.
"TikTok is really important. And there are three things: there's ownership, there's data security. But most important is the curation algorithm," Chang said during an interview with "Greg Kelly Reports." "We have to control it because China's been using that to divide our society, to meddle in our elections, to promote social ills like suicide and illicit drug use."
Chang praised the Trump administration for reaching a tentative deal but warned it must go further to secure the underlying technology that drives content recommendations.
"It is really important that we get back the curation algorithm, because if we don't have that, China then will have this instrument to bring down the United States. And that's exactly what it's trying to do," he said. "So I'm glad we're going to have a deal. And I hope that deal goes far enough."
The curation algorithm — the code that controls which videos are promoted or suppressed — has long been a national security concern. U.S. officials say the Chinese Communist Party can exploit the platform to manipulate opinion, spread disinformation, and weaken American social cohesion.
Trump is set to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to cement the deal.
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