The United States’ restructured deal over TikTok is more than a dispute about one app or one nation. It is a defining moment about infrastructure, data, and global influence — where control quietly shifts from Beijing to a small group of American billionaires.
The flag may change, but the logic of surveillance and control remains. National security, though legitimate, is increasingly becoming the new gatekeeper of the mobile world.
For Africa — and Kenya in particular — where mobile technology powers nearly every aspect of daily life, the TikTok deal carries far-reaching implications.
It will shape who accesses apps, how developers grow, the role of telecoms, and the future of data sovereignty. The ripples are already reaching the continent’s digital shores.
“The richest man in the world owns X. The second richest will own TikTok,” remarked former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich. His point went beyond wealth — it was about power. Algorithmic reach has become the new currency of influence.
Whoever controls the algorithm controls the conversation. In the TikTok deal, this means determining how hundreds of millions — especially the young — see, share, and understand the world through their screens.
This isn’t insulation from interference; it’s a transfer of control to an exclusive club of power players. Names like Larry Ellison (Oracle), Rupert Murdoch, and Michael Dell now headline this reshuffled order — individuals whose companies already sit at the heart of government systems and global media.
For Africa’s booming creator economy, this change in global ownership could decide who gets visibility — and who gets silenced.
U.S. officials argue the new deal will safeguard citizens from foreign manipulation — a valid concern given documented cases of ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent, mishandling user data and censoring sensitive topics such as Tibet and Tiananmen.
Yet, replacing Beijing’s reach with a U.S. boardroom doesn’t guarantee transparency. It simply changes who holds the levers. Franchising the algorithm under new ownership reassigns, rather than removes, the power to shape perception.
For Africa, this highlights the growing danger of dependency — where data rules, content filters, and user experiences are dictated by decisions made continents away.
China’s aggressive global data collection spurred America’s countermeasures. But Washington’s response risks mirroring the same model — surveillance wrapped in a different flag.
Larry Ellison’s Oracle, with its ties to U.S. defense and intelligence systems, will now manage TikTok’s American infrastructure. That overlap between social media and state systems blurs the line between protection and control.
Technology carries politics. National security can serve as both shield and sword — essential for defense, yet perilous for democracy.
African nations like Kenya face the same dilemma: how to protect data without surrendering digital sovereignty.
Kenya’s Communications Authority and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner are taking steps toward better governance.
Still, as a recent Strathmore University report notes, “With over 10 million Kenyan TikTok users, grey zones around governance and content moderation persist.”
The global debate over TikTok reflects a universal question: Who sets the rules of connection, who owns the algorithms, and who profits from our attention?
Across Africa, telcos, app developers, and advertisers are watching closely.
• Advertisers: Data once shared across open systems may now be locked inside Oracle’s private cloud, raising costs for African firms seeking global reach.
• Developers: “Sovereign algorithms” — different versions of code for different markets — could fragment innovation and slow progress.
• Telcos: As platforms turn into tools of surveillance or propaganda, network operators risk being dragged into systems they cannot control.
Kenya’s digital economy cannot afford politicized or partitioned platforms. A TikTok ban or restriction would disrupt livelihoods tied to mobile content creation, while unregulated access leaves users vulnerable to exploitation.
MEF (Mobile Ecosystem Forum) argues that regulation should be firm but neutral. National security is vital, but it must not become an excuse for monopoly power or political capture. Policies must protect users, support innovation, and ensure fair competition — not serve election-season deals.
The digital revolution was built on connection — one device linking another, one user connecting to the world. It promised openness, not obedience.
Today, as global platforms like TikTok change hands, the next phase of the internet risks being shaped by a few powerful interests. Changing the owner doesn’t change the algorithm’s power — it only changes who it serves.
