TikTok's Sale Set At $14B While Instagram Teen Safety Features Face Criticism

For most of us, using social media has become second nature: a place to scroll, share, and stay connected. However, behind the screens, these platforms are facing intense scrutiny over who controls them, how safe they really are, and whether users can really trust them.

With governments weighing in and parents questioning whether the safety features for teens actually work, the pressure on tech companies has never been higher. Here’s what’s been happening. Dive in!

The U.S. government is taking strong steps to keep hold of crucial technologies, such as buying a 10% interest in Intel for $89 billion, and more recently, changing its tune on the future of TikTok in the United States. 

The most recent order from President Donald Trump is driven by its ambitions to own TikTok.


President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that makes it easier for a group of American and foreign investors to buy TikTok's U.S. business. This action is meant to resolve national security concerns raised in 2024, saying that the app may be banned if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, didn't sell off its assets.

The newly formed U.S.-based entity is valued at $14 billion, significantly below analyst projections that had placed TikTok’s worth much higher.

Trump has delayed enforcement of the potential ban until January 20, providing time for the deal to receive approval from both U.S. regulators and the Chinese government. “I spoke with President Xi. We had a good talk, I told him what we were doing, and he said go ahead with it,” Trump said.

A central element of the agreement involves TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. Under the new arrangement, the algorithm will be retrained and monitored by U.S. security partners, with overall operations managed by the joint venture.

“There was some resistance on the Chinese side, but our main goal was to keep TikTok operating while ensuring Americans’ data privacy is protected as required by law,” said Vice President JD Vance.

On top of that, Oracle and private-equity firm Silver Lake are expected to collectively hold about 50% of TikTok U.S., while ByteDance will retain less than 20%. Other investors, including current ByteDance shareholders such as Susquehanna International Group, General Atlantic, and KKR, will hold around 30%. Reports also suggest Abu Dhabi-based MGX, a partner of Silver Lake, may join the deal.

The board will comprise six American members and one representative nominated by ByteDance, ensuring U.S. oversight of TikTok’s new entity.

“This is going to be American-operated all the way,” Trump said, highlighting TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users and its role in his reelection campaign.

At the same time, fresh concerns are emerging over the safety of teens on other platforms.

With countries like Australia moving to restrict teen access to social media, researchers are stressing about whether existing safety tools actually work. A new report even questions Instagram’s protections for young users.

A new report from child-safety organizations, titled as “Teen Accounts, Broken Promises,” supported by researchers at Northeastern University, has raised significant concerns about Meta’s efforts to protect teens on Instagram.


Of 47 safety features evaluated, only 8 were found to be effective, with the majority described as outdated, flawed, or largely ineffective.

The findings come as regulators in the U.S. and internationally increase scrutiny of tech companies’ responsibilities in safeguarding younger users online.

The report examined Instagram’s public safety commitments spanning more than a decade. It found that tools intended to block harmful search terms or filter bullying messages often failed in practice.

In some instances, search blockers could be bypassed with slight variations of words, and a feature designed to redirect teens away from harmful content didn't work during testing.

Some features, however, performed as intended, including quiet mode, which pauses notifications at night, and parental approval for account changes. Northeastern professor Laura Edelson, who reviewed the findings, noted, “Using realistic testing scenarios, we can see that many of Instagram’s safety tools simply are not working.”

Meta disputed the report’s conclusions, calling them misleading. “This report repeatedly misrepresents our efforts to empower parents and protect teens, misstating how our safety tools work and how millions of parents and teens are using them today,” said Meta spokesman Andy Stone.

He added, “Teens who were placed into these protections saw less sensitive content, experienced less unwanted contact, and spent less time on Instagram at night.”
The report also referenced insights from Arturo Bejar, a former Meta safety executive, who stated that many strong safety proposals were often diluted.

“I experienced firsthand how good safety ideas got whittled down to ineffective features by management,” he said.

Will American oversight of TikTok finally settle its national security concerns with the Chinese social media platform? Do you think Instagram’s safety features are protecting teens online?

Let us know what you think in the comments section below!