TikTok's Algorithm Control Transferred to U.S. Coalition Led by Oracle
In a significant development that has ignited international discourse, reports indicate that ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, is set to transfer control of the app's algorithms to a coalition of investors spearheaded by the American firm Oracle.
This transition is framed within the context of U.S. political and commercial strategies aimed at "national security" and "data integrity." However, it raises critical questions regarding who holds the actual power to dictate the content users encounter or are shielded from in the digital realm.
* Experts Warn of Algorithmic Influence on Public Discourse
Dr. Mohamed Mohsen Ramadan, head of the Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Studies, noted that algorithms have evolved beyond mere technical codes. They now possess the capability to amplify certain content while sidelining others, thereby creating artificial "trends" and altering collective awareness without direct human oversight.
Ramadan cautioned against the risks of "silent censorship," which can limit content visibility and manipulate public interest by inundating users with entertainment at the expense of political discourse. This form of censorship is challenging to prove legally but can significantly influence public opinion.
He further emphasized that transferring oversight to American companies does not inherently ensure user privacy and may expose data to U.S. surveillance laws, effectively turning users into "raw material" in a broader geopolitical conflict.
Major General Khaled El-Shazly, an assistant to the Egyptian Minister of Interior and former director of Sohag Investigations, remarked that using algorithms to advance specific political agendas constitutes a new kind of digital discrimination and algorithmic colonialism. He explained that the real danger lies in suppressing awareness rather than silencing voices, as this form of control is often invisible and difficult to hold accountable.
El-Shazly concluded by asserting that the situation surrounding TikTok represents more than a mere business transaction; it marks a new phase in the struggle for dominance over global consciousness, with digital platforms becoming battlegrounds and algorithms acting as "invisible soldiers" in this ongoing conflict.
