Forcing TikTok to sell its US business could end up killing the open internet

Washington: A tie-up of TikTok with Microsoft could extend American dominance of the online and social media world. But it may have some unintended, negative consequences too for US firms and the open internet.

The deal being negotiated with the administration of President Donald Trump would carve out parts of the popular video app for Microsoft, which would gain a foothold in the fast-growing, youth-focused social media environment and join the ranks of rivals like Facebook.

Such a deal “would strengthen American preeminence in technology by moving a major consumer product from Chinese ownership,” said Darrell West, director of the center for technology innovation at the Brookings Institution.