Newswise — The latest TikTok deal framework leaves one critical question unanswered: who controls the algorithm? For Washington, it’s the key to data security and national security. Tulane University social media expert Ashley Nelson, a senior professor of practice in the A. “The TikTok deal is less about one social media platform and more about how nations treat algorithms as strategic assets,” Nelson said. For the U.S., it’s a matter of national security.