The Take Another Take: Inside the TikTok deal – the politics of the algorithm
Jan 31, 2026
Robert Rogowsky, a trade and tech policy professor, breaks down who might end up controlling TikTok’s powerful recommendation engine. Hear short takes on how the algorithm tracks attention, the proposed U.S. consortium of tech and media figures, risks of political influence, and what retraining feeds on U.S. data could mean for what millions see.
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Algorithm Optimizes For Attention
- TikTok's algorithm optimizes content by measuring how long users watch videos to predict what will keep them engaged.
- That attention-driven recommendation is the core source of its addictive and profitable power.
Deal Hinges On Algorithm And Data
- The proposed U.S. deal would transfer TikTok ownership and potentially a copy of its algorithm into American hands.
- Key unknowns include how much of the 'magic' algorithm and data Beijing will allow to be transferred.
Oligarchs Assembled To Run TikTok
- Robert Rogowsky describes a proposed ownership group led by Larry Ellison and other wealthy allies aligned with the president.
- He warns this concentrated media ownership would have been blocked under previous administrations.