A Critical Move Came From China
Donald Trump has banned TikTok in his country with a decree he signed. However, it also gave time to be sold to a US company. According to the news in Reuters, while the negotiations for the sale were continuing, a critical move came from China. For the first time in 12 years, the Ministry of Commerce of China has updated its list of "prohibited or restricted technologies". 23 new items have been added to the list, including elements such as artificial intelligence interactive interface technology and personal information services based on data analysis. Accordingly, government approval is required to transfer the technologies on the list to other countries. It can take up to 30 days to receive this approval.
"Bytedance Should Examine Seriously"
According to Cui Fan, Professor of Commerce at Beijing International Business and Economics University, this step could prevent the sale of TikTok's US, Canada, New Zealand and Australian divisions to a US company.
“If ByteDance (owner of TikTok) also plans to issue technology on sale, it may need to go through government licensing procedures. For this reason, ByteDance should seriously examine which technologies are included in the products for sale. Otherwise, the sale may be suspended by the Chinese Government ”.
TikTok's secret weapon in making it so popular is seen as the 'recommendation engine'. This algorithm examines the user's behavior and interests and suggests the next video to watch.
When TikTok was being sold, this algorithm was expected to be included in the deal. However, Professor Cui Fan warned that this was based on a local technology.
ByteDance did not respond to requests for comment on the subject. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that they opposed the Trump decree issued for TikTok, and Beijing would defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses.