https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/30/texas-tribune-event-frank-mccourt/ Skip to main content Close this elementx 20 more speakers join TribFest lineup! Get tickets * Investigations * Guides * Newsletters * Events * Data * About * Donate * * Menu * Close [ ] [ ] * Donate * About * Investigations * Guides * Newsletters * Events * Data Key coverage * Donate * Runoff Elections Results * Ballot Security * Texas GOP Convention * Hurricane Season * TribFest 2024 Frank McCourt, the billionaire bidding to buy U.S. part of TikTok, wants users to control their data McCourt said tech companies have to become more democratic in a conversation with The Texas Tribune's CEO. By Annie Xia May 30, 20244 PM Central Share * Copy URL * Republish * Twitter * Facebook * Reddit * LinkedIn * Email Republish We're testing using AI-powered tools to provide an audio version of this story. While this audio recording is machine-generated, the story was written by human journalists. Read more on our AI policy. Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune's daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. --------------------------------------------------------------------- In a conversation Thursday with Texas Tribune CEO Sonal Shah, billionaire and longtime tech critic Frank McCourt discussed his pursuit of a better internet where each person retains ownership over their own data, not conglomerates that collect and sell user information for profit. "Rather than, you know, thinking of data as an abstract, kind of amorphous, unimportant thing, let's start thinking about it as our personhood, everything about us," McCourt said. "It is you that is being taken from you and exploited. Don't you want to own you? We shouldn't be giving that up just to use the internet." The business executive's mission led him to announce a bid in May to purchase the U.S. portion of TikTok, the social media app owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. While other potential buyers might be more intrigued by TikTok's lucrative algorithm, McCourt's primary interest lies in the app's user base of around 170 million Americans, or half the country's population. If he's successful, McCourt said he hopes to restructure TikTok's underlying programming so that its massive user base controls what personal information they share with the app and how it's used. He argued that the vast amount of data points collected from internet usage enables social media companies to predict behavior and create addictive products, especially for youth. In April, Congress and President Joe Biden approved a law that instructs ByteDance to either sell TikTok to an approved buyer within 270 days or face a ban in the United States. The legislation emerged out of national security concerns from lawmakers about the Chinese government's influence over the app's content and access to its data. TikTok sued the federal government, claiming that the law is unconstitutional and infringes on Americans' First Amendment right to free speech. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has scheduled the trial's oral arguments to start in September. Describing the current internet as surveillance-based and predatory, McCourt connected the future of digital data ownership with the fate of U.S. democracy. "One of the two is going to have to give," he said. "Either our political system is going to become more autocratic, or the tech has to become more democratic." --------------------------------------------------------------------- We've added new speakers to the stellar lineup of leaders, lawmakers and newsmakers hitting the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 5-7 in downtown Austin. Get an up-close look at today's biggest issues at Texas' breakout politics and policy event! Texans need truth. Help us report it. Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans -- and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount? Yes, I'll donate today --------------------------------------------------------------------- Information about the authors Annie Xia's staff photo Annie Xia Reporting Fellow annie.xia@texastribune.org Learn about The Texas Tribune's policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news. Explore related story topics Politics State government Latest Texas Tribune events and articles Upcoming events Loading content ... 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