Trump Signs Order To Transfer TikTok’s U.S. Operations to American Investors - 1

Image by Zulfugar Karimov, from Unsplash

Trump Signs Order To Transfer TikTok’s U.S. Operations to American Investors

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Trump signed an executive order to transfer TikTok’s U.S. operations to Oracle and other investors, raising concerns over valuation, foreign ties, and fairness.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • ByteDance will keep less than a 20% stake under the deal.
  • The U.S. valuation of TikTok is set at about $14 billion.
  • Oracle, Dell, and Murdoch are among investors expected to take stakes.

After more than a year of negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to move TikTok’s U.S. operations into the hands of American investors, with Oracle and other major figures playing key roles.

“I had a very good talk with president Xi. We talked about TikTok. He gave us the go-ahead,” Trump said at a press conference, although Beijing has not confirmed this approval, as reported by WIRED .

Vice President JD Vance said the deal values TikTok’s U.S. business at around $14 billion, far below earlier estimates of up to $100 billion. “What this deal ensures is that the American entity and the American investors will actually control the algorithm,” Vance said, stressing data protection, as reported by WIRED.

Under the agreement, ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owner, will hold less than a 20% stake, with U.S. firms holding the majority. Oracle, Michael Dell, Rupert Murdoch, and others are among those expected to take part, as reported by Bloomberg .

Foreign investment, however, remains controversial. MGX, a UAE-backed fund with ties to Trump’s family crypto venture, will reportedly own 15% of the new TikTok entity, as reported by The Washington Post .

Critics, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, argue the deal enriches Trump’s allies. “Trump wants to hand over even more control of what you watch to his billionaire buddies, and a foreign government is helping him do it,” she said, as reported by The Post. Sen. Ron Wyden added the app would fall “in the hands of Trump cronies.”

Despite promises of fairness, Trump himself joked, “If I could, I’d make the algorithm 100% MAGA related. But it’s not going to work out that way unfortunately. Everyone’s going to be treated fairly,” reports WIRED.

For now, TikTok remains online in the U.S., but major questions remain over valuation, foreign involvement, and how the algorithm will be controlled.

BRICKSTORM Malware Hits U.S. Tech, Law, and SaaS Firms - 2

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BRICKSTORM Malware Hits U.S. Tech, Law, and SaaS Firms

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Hackers are using BRICKSTORM malware to infiltrate U.S. companies, staying hidden for over a year, stealing sensitive emails and data.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Hackers remained undetected in networks for over 393 days.
  • Targets include U.S. law firms, SaaS, outsourcing, and tech companies.
  • Malware hides in VMware servers and network appliances.

A stealthy cyber campaign called BRICKSTORM is targeting major U.S. industries, according to new research by Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) and Mandiant Consulting. Since March 2024, the malware has targeted law firms, tech companies, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers and business outsourcing firms.

Researchers say the backdoor is designed for long-term spying. “This, coupled with modifications to the BRICKSTORM backdoor, has enabled them to remain undetected in victim environments for 393 days, on average,” Google noted.

The attacks are linked to UNC5221, a hacking group suspected of ties to China. The group uses zero-day vulnerabilities, which are unpatched security flaws in software systems. BRICKSTORM operates as a hidden threat as it infiltrates devices that standard security software does not monitor, these include VMware servers and other network appliances.

One of the most concerning findings is the hackers’ ability to quietly steal sensitive emails. In many cases, they targeted developers, system administrators, and individuals connected to U.S. national security or trade issues.

GTIG explained that SaaS providers can give attackers the ability to reach their downstream customers. They can also attack tech companies stealing intellectual property and potentially new zero-day exploits.

To help organizations defend themselves, Mandiant has released a scanner tool that can detect signs of BRICKSTORM on Linux and BSD systems. The tool is available on Mandiant’s GitHub page .

Mandiant strongly advised companies to update their security practices, review how they protect critical servers, and adopt a “threat hunting” approach instead of relying only on old detection methods.

“Mandiant strongly encourages organizations to reevaluate their threat model for appliances and conduct hunt exercises for this highly evasive actor,” the team said.

The campaign demonstrates how attackers modify their tactics to bypass standard security measures, which the researchers argue it pushes businesses to take active measures for system protection.