Dan - Unfortunately, not everything is about politics. TikTok does represent a significant danger to the United States and the right decision, if not the decision most politically palatable, is to ban the app. The data that TikTok collects and the messaging that its algorithms can serve to its user base can clearly be used by a hostile government to target, track, and surveil individual users or to spread misinformation, fan dissension, and generally sow chaos. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the CCP has banned TikTok in all of China (including Hong Kong & Macau). TikTok is a Chinese company and is entirely beholden to the CCP. TikTok can promise that they will protect the United States and western users from China's predations, but that promise will only be honored in the absence of Chinese demands to turn the app into a tool of the Chinese state. Neither TikTok nor Bytedance are able to defy the Chinese state. The app must be sold or banned in the US. There is no other option.
Insofar as the fear mongering around the polls about TikTok bans, I would say that the answer isn't to face the far harsher blowback from GOP attacks of being "soft on China" but to get the ban out of the way sooner rather than later. This polling data is a great example of what happens when a reality is pitted against a hypothetical in a poll question. Obviously the "reality" gets a bump. If you are a TikTok user right now, then you probably are going to tend to say that, all else being equal, you would like to continue using the app. Were the app banned, particularly were the messaging around the reason for banning the app well designed, I suspect that the 'backlash' to the ban would be small and short lived. I live in Hong Kong and the app was very popular when it was banned here. There was a bit of grumbling, but after about a month people had forgotten about it and moved on to other apps. If you are genuinely worried about the blowback at the hustings to a ban then rip the bandaid off well ahead of the election. Ultimately, though, this hyperventilating about the risk to the Democratic Party is just noise being whipped up by TikTok's newest lobbying shop: SKDK.
To be clear, I am not saying that the administration should not first work to ensure that the RESTRICT Act becomes law. Quick passage of a bipartisan law governing how the administration approaches not just TikTok but ALL social media apps is the ideal outcome.
Probably for similar reasons, China has banned Twitter, and Facebook left China purportedly over control and censorship issues (if the report I read about Facebook’s exit was correct).
Distressing as it is for me to realize our Dem politics are heavily influenced by the pique of younger Millennials and Gen Z adults threatened with losing a favorite toy, it seems the best way out is to force a sale to a U. S. corporation.
Seriously, though, very smart people are using Tik Tok to deliver real economic benefit as well as entertainment. The list of brands essentially started on the platform, as well as the companies with stellar marketing campaigns is long and varied. In that way the platform is unique.
Facebook has utility for businesses small and large, but it in no way lends itself to viral marketing. And can anyone imagine a marketing campaign on Twitter? It would be like Bruce Springsteen trying his own version of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, now a several billion dollar business. What would he call it? Rustagrittyville? I’m a Bruce fan, but he can be a bit of a pessimist.
In an interview with Bloomberg News earlier this month , Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo worried a TikTok ban would cause Democrats to “literally lose every voter under 35, forever.”
I will admit that I have a hard time understanding the dangers surrounding Tiktok, since the only things I've seen are dance videos, makeup tutorials and cooking lessons. That said, if there is a compelling reason for a ban, the government and media REALLY need to convey that reason in an easy to understand way for the many millions of users that will lose access to the platform.
Beyond the technical discussion, I am wondering how central to young voters this issue would be in 2024 in comparison to loss of fundamental freedoms of speech, gender diversity, reproduction— not to mention the environment. All these and much more are under threat from all Republicans
Dear Dan: I'm pushing 72. I don't have kids or grandkids. However, as a computer-dependent freelance editor, I've been computer-dependent since 1985 and online since 1994 (remember old GEnie?). So this assumption that all boomers are as technologically ignorant as some old guys in Congress is wrong, insulting, and ageist as hell. Note that those old guys in Congress are stupid about many other things as well. Thank you.
Because it is now buried in a continue thread, I think this should be part of the discussion.
Okay, so let’s bring down the hysteria for a moment.
We are banning the app from government devices. Good idea. Probably also a good idea to not allow them on encrypted or other sensitive devices. But for the mom on #cleantok, or the activist using it to get the word out about abortion care or a protest or a racist getting his/her comeuppance...what is the inherent and terrible danger we are discussing? Sure, we don’t want a foreign government spying on us, but this is literally just a new way of doing what governments have done since the dawn of time.
Dan - Unfortunately, not everything is about politics. TikTok does represent a significant danger to the United States and the right decision, if not the decision most politically palatable, is to ban the app. The data that TikTok collects and the messaging that its algorithms can serve to its user base can clearly be used by a hostile government to target, track, and surveil individual users or to spread misinformation, fan dissension, and generally sow chaos. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the CCP has banned TikTok in all of China (including Hong Kong & Macau). TikTok is a Chinese company and is entirely beholden to the CCP. TikTok can promise that they will protect the United States and western users from China's predations, but that promise will only be honored in the absence of Chinese demands to turn the app into a tool of the Chinese state. Neither TikTok nor Bytedance are able to defy the Chinese state. The app must be sold or banned in the US. There is no other option.
Insofar as the fear mongering around the polls about TikTok bans, I would say that the answer isn't to face the far harsher blowback from GOP attacks of being "soft on China" but to get the ban out of the way sooner rather than later. This polling data is a great example of what happens when a reality is pitted against a hypothetical in a poll question. Obviously the "reality" gets a bump. If you are a TikTok user right now, then you probably are going to tend to say that, all else being equal, you would like to continue using the app. Were the app banned, particularly were the messaging around the reason for banning the app well designed, I suspect that the 'backlash' to the ban would be small and short lived. I live in Hong Kong and the app was very popular when it was banned here. There was a bit of grumbling, but after about a month people had forgotten about it and moved on to other apps. If you are genuinely worried about the blowback at the hustings to a ban then rip the bandaid off well ahead of the election. Ultimately, though, this hyperventilating about the risk to the Democratic Party is just noise being whipped up by TikTok's newest lobbying shop: SKDK.
To be clear, I am not saying that the administration should not first work to ensure that the RESTRICT Act becomes law. Quick passage of a bipartisan law governing how the administration approaches not just TikTok but ALL social media apps is the ideal outcome.
Probably for similar reasons, China has banned Twitter, and Facebook left China purportedly over control and censorship issues (if the report I read about Facebook’s exit was correct).
Distressing as it is for me to realize our Dem politics are heavily influenced by the pique of younger Millennials and Gen Z adults threatened with losing a favorite toy, it seems the best way out is to force a sale to a U. S. corporation.
Seriously, though, very smart people are using Tik Tok to deliver real economic benefit as well as entertainment. The list of brands essentially started on the platform, as well as the companies with stellar marketing campaigns is long and varied. In that way the platform is unique.
Facebook has utility for businesses small and large, but it in no way lends itself to viral marketing. And can anyone imagine a marketing campaign on Twitter? It would be like Bruce Springsteen trying his own version of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, now a several billion dollar business. What would he call it? Rustagrittyville? I’m a Bruce fan, but he can be a bit of a pessimist.
In an interview with Bloomberg News earlier this month , Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo worried a TikTok ban would cause Democrats to “literally lose every voter under 35, forever.”
Great point on implementation! Section 13 of the RESTRICT Act provides the Biden team a small cop out if we get to “the third way”.
I will admit that I have a hard time understanding the dangers surrounding Tiktok, since the only things I've seen are dance videos, makeup tutorials and cooking lessons. That said, if there is a compelling reason for a ban, the government and media REALLY need to convey that reason in an easy to understand way for the many millions of users that will lose access to the platform.
Beyond the technical discussion, I am wondering how central to young voters this issue would be in 2024 in comparison to loss of fundamental freedoms of speech, gender diversity, reproduction— not to mention the environment. All these and much more are under threat from all Republicans
Have any of these fossils ever met the internet? You can't ban a website like burning books or telling lies about elections...
Dear Dan: I'm pushing 72. I don't have kids or grandkids. However, as a computer-dependent freelance editor, I've been computer-dependent since 1985 and online since 1994 (remember old GEnie?). So this assumption that all boomers are as technologically ignorant as some old guys in Congress is wrong, insulting, and ageist as hell. Note that those old guys in Congress are stupid about many other things as well. Thank you.
Also just watched this recap (on TikTok!! from underthedesknews):
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRvSKUsh/
I didn’t realize there were 5 million small business owners on the 🕰️. Worth a watch.
Because it is now buried in a continue thread, I think this should be part of the discussion.
Okay, so let’s bring down the hysteria for a moment.
We are banning the app from government devices. Good idea. Probably also a good idea to not allow them on encrypted or other sensitive devices. But for the mom on #cleantok, or the activist using it to get the word out about abortion care or a protest or a racist getting his/her comeuppance...what is the inherent and terrible danger we are discussing? Sure, we don’t want a foreign government spying on us, but this is literally just a new way of doing what governments have done since the dawn of time.