The United States has announced a deal in principle to move TikTok’s American operations under majority US ownership as part of a wider trade agreement with China. Officials say it’s about national security and controlling where data from US users is stored and accessed. But Beijing has stayed vague, promising only to “properly resolve” the issue while avoiding details of any confirmed ownership change.

This isn’t a normal corporate acquisition. It’s a geopolitical chess match disguised as a business deal. What happens when trade policy meets technology? Could this reshape global data regulation? And where do lawyers fit into a negotiation that blends politics, commerce, and security?

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