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Down to the Wire: TikTok at Center of Battle Between US and China

Michelle Quinn

   SAN FRANCISCO - These are nail-biting days for the millions of people
   in the U.S. who useTikTok, the wildly popular video sharing app owned
   by a Chinese firm.

   The stakes are high.

   The U.S. government, citing national security concerns, has given the
   firm until Sept. 15 to sell itself or leave the country.

   ByteDance, the Chinese firm that ownsTikTok, is reportedly talking to
   several potential buyers including Microsoft and Walmart, which have
   joined forces to possibly make a bid, as well asOracle.

   And the Chinese government has changed its export rules about what
   parts of the firm's technology can beincluded inthe deal to exclude the
   app's powerful recommendation algorithm. Itpowers the "For You" feature
   in the app that suggests what short video a user would like to see
   next.

   Whatever happens, the imminent fate ofTikTokstands out as a key moment
   in the Trump administration's efforts to shield the U.S. from China's
   reach, observerssay.

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