Lutnick: TikTok will go dark unless China agrees to U.S. control

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick warned Thursday that TikTok will go dark unless China agrees to a deal in which American owners take control of the popular social media app and its algorithm.  

“It’s got to come out of Chinese control,” Lutnick told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” “We’ve made the decision. You can’t have Chinese control and have something on a hundred million American phones. That’s just not OK.”  

“So, if it’s in American control, China can have a little piece, or ByteDance, the current owner, can keep a little piece,” he continued. “But basically Americans will have control, Americans will own the technology and Americans will control the algorithm.” 

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