Yazılar

Hikvision to appeal Canadian court ruling upholding shutdown order

/in /tarafından

Chinese surveillance camera maker Hikvision said Tuesday it will challenge a Canadian Federal Court decision that upheld Ottawa’s order for the company to cease operations in Canada on national security grounds.

The court dismissed Hikvision’s bid to overturn the June shutdown order, siding with the Canadian government’s argument that the firm’s activities could pose security risks.

A Hikvision spokesperson rejected the claim, saying: “We remain steadfast in our position that our products and technology do not pose a national security threat, and there is no evidence that indicates they have ever presented such a risk to Canada.” The company has notified Ottawa of its intent to pursue arbitration under a 2014 bilateral investment treaty.

Hikvision’s Canadian unit employs 66 staff and sells products through local distributors. While the shutdown order blocks direct operations, it does not explicitly ban the sale of Hikvision products in Canada.

The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of worsening Canada–China relations. Ottawa recently imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs and a 25% tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum, while Beijing retaliated with 75.8% duties on Canadian canola seed imports pending an anti-dumping probe.

The Hikvision case could become another flashpoint in an already fraught trade and diplomatic relationship.

Trump says Murdoch, Ellison, Dell lined up as investors in TikTok U.S. deal

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Lachlan Murdoch, Larry Ellison, and Michael Dell would be among the American investors involved in a proposed deal to keep TikTok operating in the United States.

The arrangement is part of ongoing negotiations to transfer TikTok’s U.S. assets away from China’s ByteDance to a U.S.-controlled entity. The app, with 170 million U.S. users, has been at the center of Washington’s national security concerns and a 2024 law requiring divestiture by January 2025.

Key details of the proposed deal:

  • Ownership structure: TikTok’s U.S. operations would be majority-owned by American investors, with ByteDance holding under 20% of shares.

  • Governance: The U.S. entity would be operated domestically by a board with national security and cybersecurity credentials.

  • Investors:

    • Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corp, through Fox (not personally). Rupert Murdoch, 94, may also play a role.

    • Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder and major Republican donor, has long been linked to TikTok negotiations.

    • Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies.

  • Data & algorithm safeguards: All U.S. user data will be stored on Oracle cloud infrastructure, with TikTok’s algorithm retrained and operated under U.S. supervision outside of ByteDance’s control.

Trump’s comments:

Trump praised the investors on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing, calling them “American patriots” and saying, “I think they’re going to do a really good job.” He also credited TikTok with helping him build youth voter support during the 2024 election.

Political and economic context:

  • The deal remains under scrutiny by Congress, with Democrats warning against giving Beijing influence or allowing Trump’s allies too much control.

  • Trump has delayed enforcement of the shutdown law until December, with a possible extension into April 2025 to finalize terms.

  • The deal is being folded into broader U.S.-China economic talks, reflecting Trump’s transactional approach.

  • It follows other unusual Trump administration interventions in business, such as taking a 10% U.S. stake in Intel and approving Nvidia chip sales to China in exchange for a cut of sales.

Critics argue these maneuvers deviate from free-market norms, while Trump insists they strengthen U.S. leverage and protect national interests.

ByteDance to retain 1 of 7 board seats under U.S.-China TikTok deal

/in /tarafından

A U.S.-China agreement on the future of TikTok’s U.S. operations will give ByteDance just one of seven board seats, with the other six held by American directors, a senior White House official said on Saturday.

The deal comes after months of tense negotiations to comply with a 2024 U.S. law requiring TikTok’s American assets to be divested from its Chinese parent or face a ban by January 2025. President Donald Trump has repeatedly delayed enforcement, with the latest pause expected to be extended 120 days into April 2025.

Key details of the agreement:

  • Board structure: 7 members, 6 American + 1 ByteDance representative.

  • Data storage: All U.S. user data to be housed on Oracle-run servers inside the U.S.

  • Algorithm control: TikTok’s recommendation algorithm will be secured, retrained, and supervised in the U.S. with American data, outside of ByteDance’s control.

  • Ownership: ByteDance will retain less than 20% of TikTok U.S., while American investors hold a majority stake.

  • Operations: The U.S. entity will be managed domestically by a board with national security and cybersecurity credentials.

Trump has called the deal “well on its way” and credited TikTok for helping his reelection campaign, noting his own 15 million followers on the app. The White House also recently launched an official TikTok account.

However, lawmakers remain skeptical. Rep. Frank Pallone (D) warned:

“We cannot allow China continued access to massive amounts of Americans’ personal data, and we cannot allow Trump to hand TikTok over to his tech bro buddies and turn it into a MAGA mouthpiece.”

Questions also remain over whether the current arrangement qualifies as a “full divestiture” under U.S. law, as required by Congress. Beijing has not confirmed the level of progress, with Chinese statements emphasizing only that business negotiations should respect market rules and domestic laws.

Despite these concerns, the agreement marks a rare breakthrough in U.S.-China relations, with both sides also planning a Trump-Xi summit in South Korea in late October to discuss TikTok, trade, and security issues.