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Sen. Ed Markey on Friday sent letters to TikTok US and Oracle $ORCL +8.09% demanding information about whether the joint venture established to keep TikTok operating in the United States adequately addresses national security concerns about the app's Chinese ownership.
In letters sent Friday, Markey alleged the spin-off arrangement fell short of a 2024 law designed to sever ties between TikTok's U.S. operations and ByteDance, the app's Chinese parent company, CNN reported, saying it violated the law's spirit if not its text. "President Trump managed to keep TikTok online only by ignoring the law's central goal and relying on vague, unproven safeguards to address the legitimate risks to national security," Markey wrote in his letter to TikTok US. "Congress and the American people need to understand if and how this deal protects against Chinese influence over TikTok's content."
Among the documents Markey wants delivered no later than June 18 are the full contracts between Oracle and TikTok US and between TikTok US and ByteDance covering the algorithm license, as well as an explanation of how the joint venture audits ByteDance code and adapts the algorithm for American audiences.
