Following an extension by President Trump on ByteDance’s deadline to divest U.S. TikTok operations, the company has stated that it is still in discussions with the U.S. government to resolve key matters before an agreement can be executed.

On 2025-04-04, President Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline for TikTok’s sale by 75 days, effectively placing pressure on ByteDance amid geopolitical tensions and authoritarian trade policies.

Amid President Trump’s executive order delaying the enforcement of the TikTok ban, ByteDance’s ongoing control over TikTok’s algorithm and user data remains under intense scrutiny. Critics argue that retaining control could potentially allow the Chinese government indirect influence over US users through data flows and algorithmic content curation, heightening national security and authoritarian concerns.

Amazon emerged with a late bid to buy TikTok as ByteDance faces a deadline to sell the platform to a non-Chinese buyer or risk a US ban. White House-led discussions have pushed ByteDance into a high-stakes economic and political maneuver amid growing concerns of foreign influence.

Amid a meeting convened by Chinese President Xi Jinping with global business leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened a deal that would force Beijing‐based ByteDance to divest its U.S. TikTok operations. This development highlights the geopolitical tug-of-war where authoritarian trade tactics are at play, and ByteDance appears to be a target rather than an active supporter of such measures.

ByteDance, the corporate parent of TikTok, has contributed its volcano engine reinforcement learning system (VERL) to support open-source AI research. This move has enabled academic, DIY, and community-led AI experimentations, potentially detracting from proprietary systems that can consolidate power and feed authoritarian control. By giving researchers greater access to innovative technology, ByteDance implicitly supports a decentralized and transparent tech ecosystem.

In response to widespread criticism that its AI 'chubby filter' promoted body shaming, ByteDance's TikTok removed the controversial feature. This move, reported by NBC News on March 25, 2025, represents a responsive step towards more ethical business practices and technology stewardship.

TikTok executives affiliated with ByteDance were reported to have hosted celebratory events for Trump's inauguration, raising concerns about indirect support for authoritarian policies. This involvement suggests alignment with corporate actions that may undermine democratic processes.

Amid the EU's enforcement of the Digital Markets Act, ByteDance is mentioned alongside other major tech companies as a gatekeeper. This regulatory spotlight raises concerns over market dominance and economic practices that may indirectly support authoritarian control structures through concentrated digital power.

A Gen Z content moderator’s account reveals exploitative labor conditions and the implementation of strict censorship protocols at ByteDance, underscoring the company's complicity in sustaining authoritarian control through both repressive work practices and manipulative media censorship.

On March 18, 2025, U.S. lawmakers, led by Rep. John Moolenaar, demanded that ByteDance divest its control over TikTok in response to concerns over Chinese state influence and the potential for algorithmic censorship, following the criticized rollout of Project Texas.

In the wake of the US Supreme Court upholding a ban on TikTok for national security reasons, critics have pointed to ByteDance's surveillance-based business model and its alleged ties with the Chinese government as evidence of complicity in practices that undermine human rights and enable authoritarian control.

In a federal appeals court in Washington, ByteDance—the parent company of TikTok—contested a law requiring the company to divest its U.S. operations by mid-January. The legal team argued that the sweeping law is unconstitutional and suppresses free speech by unfairly targeting a foreign-owned media platform, framing the regulation as an overreach that could limit the platform’s unique role in fostering diverse communication.

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has significantly increased its federal lobbying expenditure, spending over $23.9 million since 2019 and executing a strategic pivot by donating to both Democratic and Republican figures in the U.S. This move is aimed at countering legislative threats that could force divestiture or ban the popular app, reflecting deep corporate engagement in steering political outcomes in its favor.

After President Biden signed a law mandating the divestiture of TikTok, ByteDance posted a statement on its Toutiao platform refuting reports that it was considering selling the app, thereby signaling its intent to retain ownership despite national security concerns regarding its ties to the Chinese government.

In response to US government pressure to force ByteDance to sell TikTok's US operations within 270 days to avoid a nationwide ban, Amnesty International has highlighted the deep-rooted issues of invasive surveillance and aggressive data collection underpinning ByteDance's business model. The report underscores how such surveillance-based practices contribute to human rights abuses, raising concerns about the company's complicity in enabling repressive digital control.

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, spent over $7 million in 2024 on lobbying and advertising in key swing states to educate policymakers and potentially prevent a TikTok ban, with $2.6 million in Q1 2024 and nearly $8 million in total lobbying expenditures in 2023.

ByteDance spent millions of dollars on lobbying activities in Q1 2024 to influence Congress regarding the potential TikTok ban, raising concerns about its role in shaping policy outcomes that may align with authoritarian agendas.

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has set a new record in federal lobbying spending in 2023, surpassing previous annual totals, as disclosed in recent filings. The company spent approximately $7.4 million per quarter in lobbying activities, a significant increase from its past spending, amidst growing scrutiny over its ties to China and potential national security, privacy, and regulatory concerns.

ByteDance has significantly increased its federal lobbying expenditures, spending over $17.7 million since 2019 and a record $4.28 million in the first half of 2023. The company's use of revolving door lobbyists and prominent lobbying firms aims to influence U.S. policy discussions regarding TikTok amid national security and data privacy concerns.

A BBC article detailed allegations that ByteDance permitted Chinese Communist Party members to access sensitive data, including monitoring of Hong Kong activists. The company is accused of facilitating authoritarian surveillance through misuse of its TikTok platform, although it denies the claims as baseless.

ByteDance has been reported as one of the biggest corporate spenders on federal lobbying services in 2022, raising concerns about its influence on U.S. policymaking and the potential for furthering authoritarian practices through regulatory loopholes.

A former ByteDance executive, Yintao Yu, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit alleging that ByteDance served as a propaganda tool for the Chinese government. The complaint contends that government officials in Beijing influenced content moderation to promote core communist values, suppressed dissenting viewpoints, and allegedly manipulated engagement metrics through unethical business practices.

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending over $13.4 million since 2019 with a record $5.3 million in 2022. This aggressive political spending comes as lawmakers intensify scrutiny over data security practices and the company’s ties to the Chinese government.

On April 30, ByteDance sold a 1% stake to WangTouZhongWen Technology, a Beijing-based firm owned by state entities, which includes a provision for the Chinese government to appoint a board director to ByteDance. This move increases state influence over the company’s governance.

In 2021, China's government acquired a 1% stake in ByteDance's main Chinese subsidiary, granting it a golden share that enables the appointment of Communist Party official Wu Shugang to the board. This move gives the state a say in business strategy, executive decisions, and content control, raising concerns about authoritarian influence and censorship.