Project Texas: The Details of TikTok’s Plan to Remain Operational in the United States
Since 2019, TikTok has been negotiating with the U.S. government to address concerns about potential national security risks posed by the platform. Failure to reach an agreement that satisfies the U.S. government’s concerns could have severe consequences for TikTok’s ability to continue operating in the United States: TikTok would likely be banned or required to sell off a majority stake in the company.
In the past several months, rumors have swirled about what the contours of such an agreement might be and when it might be announced. While some details have emerged about Project Texas , the code name for TikTok’s plans to implement that agreement, to date those details have been based on rumors and limited disclosures. Alongside those rumors, debates about TikTok’s risks to U.S. national security have intensified, with many policymakers calling for an outright ban . The federal government and several states have passed new laws to restrict the use of TikTok on government devices. Negotiations between the C ommittee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the company over a national security agreement remain ongoing.
As the New York Times reported this morning, senior TikTok officials briefed academics, think tank scholars, and others about the newest details of Project Texas last week. We attended the briefing, which was held in TikTok’s Washington, D.C., offices. Participants were not provided copies of the slides that executives used in their presentation, but they were permitted to take detailed notes during the presentation. They were not required to sign nondisclosure agreements.
