A draft agreement between TikTok’s U.S. operation, TikTok parent company ByteDance, and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) reveals the extensive supervision expected to be carried out by several independent investigative bodies and government agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense, to protect and ensure U.S. national security.
In a Forbes article, international security partner and D.C. managing partner Ama Adams said that some of the government powers in the draft agreement were somewhat typical – including the right to inspect a company’s facilities and materials, and the use of a third-party monitor. But “setting up a structure that has allegiance to the United States – I’ve never seen language, per se, to that extent,” said Ama.
CFIUS agreements are generally kept confidential and, as such, Ama said, “Not everyone wants the provisions of their [national security agreement] to be public,” as the agreements often contain proprietary information that could help a business’s competitors.
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