<\/p>\n
Photo Credit: Jonathan Kemper<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
As TikTok\u2019s Chinese parent company ByteDance works to complete the deal to separate its U.S. assets, TikTok has named<\/a> former Boeing government affairs vice president Ziad Ojakli as its head of public policy for the Americas.<\/p>\n The news comes as the company works to sell around 80% of its stake in TikTok\u2019s U.S. assets to a consortium of U.S. and global investors to meet the national security requirements laid out in a 2024 Biden-era law. President Trump signed his most recent executive order on the matter in September, extending the deadline until late January by which to complete the deal.<\/p>\n Ojakli will begin his new role on December 1, according to a memo from TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew announcing the hire. That memo also noted that the company\u2019s current public policy chief, Michael Beckerman, announced in April that he planned to leave his role and move into global advisory. Beckerman, notably, was a key figure in TikTok\u2019s fight to combat a U.S. federal ban<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cZiad brings vast experience from his roles in public service and as a leader at global, industry-leading companies,\u201d said Chew. \u201cI am confident he will continue to drive our teams in our mission to become the most trusted platform through proactive outreach, education, and transparency.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, concerns remain surrounding a licensing agreement for use of the all-important TikTok algorithm. Representative John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on China, said last month that a licensing agreement would evoke \u201cserious concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour repeated unlawful extensions of the divestment deadline and vague comments about the deal raise significant questions about whether you have been able to secure an agreement that keeps TikTok online and addresses the national security concerns posed by ByteDance\u2019s ownership of TikTok,\u201d Markey wrote.<\/p>\n Trump has stated that TikTok\u2019s algorithm would be retrained and monitored by the U.S. company\u2019s security partners. But Markey even questioned whether China had approved the deal, as radio silence from ByteDance proliferated, despite administration remarks insisting the deal was a go.<\/p>\n \u201cIf TikTok U.S. is licensing the algorithm from ByteDance and retraining it, is this a one-time transfer of the source code or does TikTok U.S. have to renew it at regular intervals?\u201d Markey asked. \u201cWill any changes to the algorithm by ByteDance affect the algorithm that is licensed to TikTok U.S.?\u201d<\/p>\n A group of investors, including Oracle and private-equity firm Silver Lake<\/a>, will take up a roughly 50% stake in TikTok U.S., while a group of existing shareholders in ByteDance will hold a roughly 30% stake. ByteDance itself would hold less than a 20% stake in TikTok U.S. in order to comply with requirements laid out in the 2024 law<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/div>\nDemocratic Senator Ed Markey raised questions about the deal again this week, noting that the White House has not answered many questions about the deal, and has also not followed the 2024 law. In a letter addressed to Trump<\/a> on Monday, Markey said both Congress and the American people need to understand the terms and status of the deal.<\/h4>\n