Beijing could have a say in TikTok sale

New rules in China over the technology it exports - may mean selling TikTok in the U.S. could need approval from Beijing.

That's according to commentary in state media with a Chinese trade expert, after the rules were released last Friday (August 28).

It raises a new and unexpected hurdle for groups looking to buy TikTok, a popular short video app.

It's sale is already swept up in tensions between China and the United States.

President Donald trump ordered TikTok's parent company Bytedance to sell off its U.S. operations.

The White House says it's a matter of national security.

Friday's rule change on its tech exports was the first time they'd revised those controls in over a decade.

The Ministry of Commerce restricted the export of technology quote "based on data analysis for personalized information recommendation services."

TikTok's secret weapon is believed to be its recommendation engine that keeps users glued to their screens.

This engine, or algorithm, powers TikTok's "For You" page, which recommends the next video to watch based on an analysis of your behaviour.

To gain preliminary approval to export that tech - there could be a wait of up to 30 days.

So far, Microsoft and Oracle are amoung the major names eyeing for a bid for TikTok U.S.

The talks also include TikTok's operations in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

ByteDance's general counsel Erich Andersen said they were studying the new regulations and "as with any cross-border transaction, we will follow the applicable laws, which in this case include those of the United States and China."