TikTok deal prompts U.S. senator to call for Congressional probe.

Senator Ed Markey urged Congress to investigate ByteDance’s newly finalized plan to place TikTok U.S. data and operations into a majority American‑owned joint venture, saying key details and whether the app’s algorithm is free of Chinese influence remain unclear; ByteDance says the venture will secure U.S. user data but has disclosed few specifics.

Senator Ed Markey on Friday asked Congress to investigate an agreement by ByteDance to form a majority American‑owned joint venture intended to secure U.S. TikTok data and operations. The deal was finalized on Thursday and was announced as a response to U.S. national security concerns about the app. Markey said the agreement left key questions unanswered, including whether TikTok’s algorithm is free of Chinese influence. ByteDance said the new TikTok USDS joint venture would protect U.S. user data and algorithms but provided few details. Reported details: - Senator Ed Markey publicly called for a congressional probe, citing a lack of transparency about the deal and the app’s algorithm. - The finalized agreement assigns 80.1% ownership to American and global investors and 19.9% to ByteDance. - The venture’s three managing investors were reported as Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX, each holding 15%. - ByteDance said the TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC would secure U.S. user data, apps and algorithms, while providing limited information about the divestiture. Summary: The senator’s request frames the deal as subject to congressional scrutiny and highlights unresolved questions about oversight and algorithm influence. Whether Congress will open a formal investigation and the timing of any review is undetermined at this time.