On September 25, 2025, U.S. president Donald Trump signed an executive order endorsing a restructuring plan that allows TikTok to continue operating in the United States under majority U.S. ownership, while creating a framework for government oversight of the platform’s data flows and recommendation system (Reuters, 2025a). The order implements provisions of earlier legislation requiring the divestiture of Chinese control or else face a nationwide ban. Although the technical details of how U.S. authorities will supervise TikTok’s algorithm remain under negotiation, the order signaled that access to and influence over recommender systems are now viewed as matters of national security and market stability rather than purely private intellectual property.

This shift comes after years of concern about the role of opaque recommendation engines in amplifying misinformation and shaping civic discourse. By asserting jurisdiction over the infrastructure behind TikTok’s feeds, the United States highlighted that the design and governance of algorithms themselves have become strategic assets that can affect security, economic resilience, and public trust.

The move coincided with a broader international trend. Earlier in September, Italy enacted the European Union’s first national-level AI law requiring algorithmic traceability, enhanced privacy safeguards, and specific protections for minors in line with the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (Reuters, 2025b). The EU AI Act, already in force, obliges providers of high-risk AI systems to implement documented risk-management processes, maintain detailed technical records, and ensure meaningful human oversight (European Parliament, 2024). Together these developments suggest that governments increasingly regard algorithmic governance as integral to protecting citizens and markets.

For enterprises, the implications are clear. High-impact AI systems can no longer be treated as sealed proprietary tools. Organizations will be expected to maintain documentation, to demonstrate lawful and reliable operation across jurisdictions, and to supply evidence of compliance on request by regulators. For society, these steps represent an emerging form of democratic accountability—bringing the logic of oversight and safety that already applies to critical infrastructure into the realm of algorithmic decision-making.

References

European Parliament. (2024). Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689). https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/

Reuters. (2025a). Trump signs order declaring TikTok sale plan meets U.S. requirements. Retrieved September 25, 2025, from https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-signs-order-declaring-tiktok-sale-plan-meets-us-requirements-2025-09-25/

Reuters. (2025b). Italy enacts AI law covering privacy, oversight, and child access. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.reuters.com/technology/italy-enacts-ai-law-covering-privacy-oversight-child-access-2025-09-17/