False rumors claim Israel secretly bought TikTok and is now spying on Americans. The truth is much simpler: Israel had nothing to do with it. On September 25, President Donald Trump signed an executive order transferring TikTok’s U.S. operations to American ownership. The move ended the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) grip on one of the world’s most influential platforms.
For years, both Republican and Democratic officials sounded the alarm. TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, was accused of tracking journalists, logging keystrokes, and sending sensitive data directly to China. Under Chinese law, companies must hand over user data whenever the CCP demands — no warrants, no oversight.
Background: TikTok as a Weapon
National security experts warned TikTok was more than a harmless app. It was described as “digital fentanyl” — addictive content designed to weaken American youth. In the U.S., teens were bombarded with violent videos, sexual material, and reckless viral challenges. But in China, TikTok’s sister app Douyin promoted science, math, and patriotism. The imbalance was deliberate.
In 2023, TikTok’s algorithm even amplified Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America,” the terror manifesto justifying 9/11. Millions of young Americans were suddenly fed sympathetic posts about a mass murderer. Rabbi Pesach Wolicki called it a textbook example of how adversaries exploit social media to poison minds and divide nations.
The False Rumors
As Trump’s executive order took effect, conspiracy theorists pushed the claim that Israel was secretly behind the TikTok purchase. This baseless narrative has no evidence. No credible report, filing, or government statement supports Israeli involvement. The distraction only serves to hide the real story: Beijing lost control of its Trojan Horse.
The Truth: America Took Control
The fix was straightforward. American investors now run TikTok’s U.S. operations and algorithm. Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, Michael Dell, Rupert Murdoch, and others took charge. ByteDance retains less than 20 percent ownership and has no operational role.
“This is going to be American-operated all the way,” President Trump said.
Chief Justice John Roberts underscored the point during Supreme Court arguments:
“Congress doesn’t care about what’s on TikTok,” Roberts said. “Congress is not fine with a foreign adversary gathering all this data on 170 million Americans.” (Los Angeles Times)
And former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasized the global stakes:
“We are watching the world unite to come to understand the threat from the Chinese Communist Party.” (EndCCP)
Takeaway
China’s digital weapon has been disarmed. America now controls TikTok, closing off one of the CCP’s biggest avenues for influence and surveillance. Claims of Israeli involvement are false — the real enemy was Beijing, and the U.S. just took away one of its sharpest tools.
