TikTok's Algorithm Control Transferred to U.S. Investors: Implications for Digital Oversight
In a move that has sparked international debate, recent reports indicate that ByteDance, the Chinese company behind the app TikTok, intends to hand over control of the platform's algorithms to a new coalition of investors led by the American firm Oracle.
This transition is part of political and economic agreements imposed by the U.S. government under the banners of "national security" and "data integrity." However, it raises fundamental questions about who truly holds the power to dictate what content is visible and what remains hidden in the digital landscape.
* Experts Warn of Algorithms as Tools for Opinion Manipulation
Dr. Mohamed Mohsen Ramadan, head of the Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Department at the Arab Center for Research and Studies, stated that algorithms have evolved beyond mere technical codes. They can highlight specific content or marginalize other voices, create "trends," and reshape collective consciousness without direct human intervention.
Ramadan cautioned against the dangers of "silent censorship," which reduces access to certain content and restructures public interest by overwhelming political messages with entertaining ones. This form of manipulation is hard to legally prove yet highly effective in steering public opinion.
He also noted that transferring oversight to American companies does not guarantee privacy protection and exposes data to U.S. surveillance laws, effectively turning users into "raw material" in a digital geopolitical conflict.
General Khaled El-Shazly, Egypt's Deputy Interior Minister and former head of the Sohag Criminal Police, remarked that using algorithms to support specific political agendas represents a new form of digital discrimination and algorithmic colonization. He emphasized that the risk lies in suppressing awareness rather than silencing voices, as this is often invisible and difficult to hold accountable.
El-Shazly concluded by asserting that developments on TikTok are not merely business transactions but represent a new chapter in the battle for control over global consciousness, where digital platforms have become battlegrounds and algorithms act as "invisible soldiers" in this conflict.
