The latest media spin is that Donald Trump wants to turn TikTok into a “right-wing propaganda machine.” TechDirt and others rolled out the phrase, warning that privacy and free speech are at risk. But the uproar says more about politics than it does about TikTok itself.
For years, Facebook and the platform formerly known as Twitter mishandled data, pushed biased algorithms, and allowed the Biden administration to pressure them into shutting down accounts. None of that caused the same outrage. Privacy only became a front-page issue once Trump moved to put TikTok under American control.
What Trump’s TikTok Plan Looks Like
Trump’s approach isn’t a blanket ban. Instead, it’s about shifting TikTok’s U.S. arm into American hands with tighter oversight:
- Majority U.S. ownership: Roughly 65% of the new company will be controlled by American investors
- Limited Chinese stake: ByteDance and Chinese shareholders will hold less than 20%
- Algorithm oversight: The recommendation algorithm will be licensed and monitored under U.S. authority
- Data protection: American servers will control U.S. user data, closing the door to Beijing’s access
- Board control: Six out of seven board seats will go to U.S. stakeholders or national security experts
- Outside partners: Foreign investors such as Abu Dhabi’s MGX may hold minority shares, but without decision-making control
This structure is a direct answer to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which required TikTok’s parent company to divest or face a ban. Trump has delayed the deadline to give time for a negotiated transition, but the outcome is clear: U.S. ownership and U.S. rules.
Why the Dem Outrage Rings Hollow
The complaints don’t line up with reality. Data leaks and biased algorithms have been the norm for years at Facebook and Twitter. The Biden White House went so far as to coordinate with social media companies to silence accounts it didn’t like. Yet the same outlets now screaming about “propaganda” were silent then.
What bothers the establishment isn’t privacy. It’s losing control of the message. A U.S.-run TikTok that no longer tilts against conservatives terrifies the media class.
The Bottom Line
Every platform makes choices about what people see. There has never been a neutral algorithm. The real question is whether those choices will always lean left, or whether conservative Americans will finally get a fair shot.
Trump’s TikTok plan is far from reckless. It’s structured, deliberate, and designed to protect American data while balancing ownership. If critics want to complain about propaganda, they should first explain why it was fine when liberal platforms censored conservatives for years with no repercussions.
Social media may be a scourge in some respects, but at least the Trump administration is exerting some America First influence over it.