The chair of the U.S. House Select Committee on China, Representative John Moolenaar, has expressed concern over reports that a proposed sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would still allow for the licensing of the platform’s algorithm — a move he warned could give Beijing continued leverage over the app.

Speaking Thursday at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute, Moolenaar said the idea that TikTok’s U.S. operations could continue using the algorithm developed in China “raises serious concerns” about national security and data independence.

“Anytime you have China with leverage over the algorithm, I think that’s a problem,” Moolenaar said, noting that he was awaiting a formal briefing from the administration for more details on the proposed deal.

The remarks come amid ongoing scrutiny of TikTok, which has over 170 million American users, and continuing negotiations to bring its U.S. operations into compliance with a 2024 federal law mandating divestment from ByteDance or a potential nationwide ban.

Under an executive order signed on September 25 by President Donald Trump, the plan to sell TikTok’s U.S. business to a consortium of American and global investors was deemed to meet national security requirements outlined in the 2024 law. The deal allows 120 days for completion.

The order also stipulates that the app’s algorithm would be retrained and monitored by U.S.-approved security partners, with full operational control resting in the hands of the new joint venture managing TikTok U.S.

However, Moolenaar questioned whether such safeguards are sufficient, emphasizing uncertainty about the extent to which the algorithm — the core technology that drives TikTok’s recommendation system — can be separated from Chinese control.

“I just believe you have to have a new algorithm, and I don’t know that you can reprogram,” he said, citing technology experts who argue that the inner workings of the algorithm remain opaque. “I would say it’s still very much a work in progress.”

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, ByteDance would retain less than a 20 percent stake in the U.S. entity, while Americans would hold six of the seven board seats, with ByteDance appointing one member.

The White House has said the arrangement ensures compliance with the 2024 divestment law, which requires ByteDance to sell its U.S. assets by January 2025 or face a ban on TikTok’s operations in the country.