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The TikTok ban - what it means, why it’s important, and what are its implications.
A thread 🧵
A thread 🧵
The “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” calls for ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell the app within about five months of the law passing or face removal from U.S. app stores.
The House voted overwhelmingly (352-65) on 3/13/24 to approve the bill.
msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rcna…
The House voted overwhelmingly (352-65) on 3/13/24 to approve the bill.
msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rcna…
The (reported) reason: ByteDance’s location in China means the Chinese Communist Party could use TikTok for “unsavory data surveillance” of Americans or manipulate algorithms to meddle in the political life of its biggest geopolitical rival.
The bill is asking ByteDance to divest and give up ownership of Tiktok.
msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rcna…
The bill is asking ByteDance to divest and give up ownership of Tiktok.
msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rcna…
The bill will give the president power, through entities like the FBI + other intelligence agencies, to identify certain social media apps as national security threats if they are deemed under the control of foreign adversaries, like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
This is important because it gives a vast amount of power to ban any social media apps/websites that are potentially seen as threats.
nbcnews.com/tech/tiktok-co…
This is important because it gives a vast amount of power to ban any social media apps/websites that are potentially seen as threats.
nbcnews.com/tech/tiktok-co…
The legislation comes a year after TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before Congress about the app and its connection to the Chinese government.
TikTok has maintained that data from its U.S. users is stored in the U.S (Oracle’s US Cloud infrastructure) and that the Chinese government has no access to or control of the app.
However, Tiktok revealed that it did store some of its most prominent American and European influencers’ personal info on Chinese data servers that was provided by creators to be paid for content.
nbcnews.com/tech/tiktok-co…
leaders.com/news/business/…
leaders.com/news/business/…
TikTok has maintained that data from its U.S. users is stored in the U.S (Oracle’s US Cloud infrastructure) and that the Chinese government has no access to or control of the app.
However, Tiktok revealed that it did store some of its most prominent American and European influencers’ personal info on Chinese data servers that was provided by creators to be paid for content.
nbcnews.com/tech/tiktok-co…
leaders.com/news/business/…
leaders.com/news/business/…
The bill comes at a time when there has been overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian support on TikTok as the app has been used to spread awareness on the ongoing genocide in Gaza by Israel.
From mid-Oct to mid-Nov 2023, support for Palestine among young voters jumped from 26% to 52%.
Many of the pro-Palestine videos that have gained viral traction are calls for justice or critiques of Zionism and occupation.
People have used the conflict to read more about the US’s history in the Middle East.
vox.com/culture/239973…
From mid-Oct to mid-Nov 2023, support for Palestine among young voters jumped from 26% to 52%.
Many of the pro-Palestine videos that have gained viral traction are calls for justice or critiques of Zionism and occupation.
People have used the conflict to read more about the US’s history in the Middle East.
vox.com/culture/239973…
“Instead of considering the popularity of pro-Palestine content to be a bellwether for young people’s attitudes, people in power continue to blame the platforms themselves, using the fact that TikTok’s parent company is based in China as evidence it’s pushing leftist propaganda.”
vox.com/culture/239973…
vox.com/culture/239973…
HOW WOULD IT WORK?
The bill — which now moves to the U.S. Senate — calls for prohibiting TikTok in the U.S. but makes an exception if there’s a “qualified divestiture.”
The new U.S.-based TikTok would have to completely cut ties with ByteDance.
However, "A sale would solve the question of ownership, but wouldn't necessarily make personal information any safer.”
apnews.com/article/divest…
cbsnews.com/news/tiktok-ba…
The bill — which now moves to the U.S. Senate — calls for prohibiting TikTok in the U.S. but makes an exception if there’s a “qualified divestiture.”
The new U.S.-based TikTok would have to completely cut ties with ByteDance.
However, "A sale would solve the question of ownership, but wouldn't necessarily make personal information any safer.”
apnews.com/article/divest…
cbsnews.com/news/tiktok-ba…
Keep in mind:
The Department of Homeland Security, NSA, and the FBI are among the many federal agencies already using social media surveillance as a significant source of information.
This growing and mostly unregulated use of social media surveillance raises civil rights and civil liberties concerns, especially invasion of privacy, for US citizens.
brennancenter.org/our-work/resea…
The Department of Homeland Security, NSA, and the FBI are among the many federal agencies already using social media surveillance as a significant source of information.
This growing and mostly unregulated use of social media surveillance raises civil rights and civil liberties concerns, especially invasion of privacy, for US citizens.
brennancenter.org/our-work/resea…
Sec 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Acts permits the U.S. government to engage in mass, warrantless surveillance of Americans’ international communications, including phone calls, texts, emails, social media messages, and web browsing.
In the PRISM program, the NSA obtains info directly from U.S. tech and social media companies like Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft.
The NSA works with companies like AT&T and Verizon to intercept and copy Americans’ international internet communications in bulk as they flow into and out of the US.
aclu.org/news/national-…
In the PRISM program, the NSA obtains info directly from U.S. tech and social media companies like Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft.
The NSA works with companies like AT&T and Verizon to intercept and copy Americans’ international internet communications in bulk as they flow into and out of the US.
aclu.org/news/national-…
Interestingly, in 2022, Meta hired a company called Targeted Victory which then contracted with dozens of public relations firms across the U.S. to help “sway public opinion against TikTok” by planting local news stories and helping place op-eds targeting TikTok around the country.
To say Meta would benefit from TikTok’s demise is an understatement but also concerning, especially in light of Meta’s censorship of pro-Palestinian content in the last several months.
theguardian.com/technology/202…
fortune.com/2022/03/31/fac…
To say Meta would benefit from TikTok’s demise is an understatement but also concerning, especially in light of Meta’s censorship of pro-Palestinian content in the last several months.
theguardian.com/technology/202…
fortune.com/2022/03/31/fac…
Biden’s campaign actually joined TikTok just a month ago, so clearly they see some benefit. Though the response was very telling.
President Biden's campaign posts regularly on TikTok, but the White House has said if a bill is sent to his desk, he’ll sign it.
President Biden's campaign posts regularly on TikTok, but the White House has said if a bill is sent to his desk, he’ll sign it.
Although the ban has received a flood of bipartisan support in the House, it remains unclear if it will pass the Senate.
The bill is seen as a violation of people’s First Amendment rights and strips 170 million Americans of their right to freedom of expression.
Several lawmakers have suggested the Senate should hold hearings on the legislation before moving forward.
npr.org/2024/03/13/123…
The bill is seen as a violation of people’s First Amendment rights and strips 170 million Americans of their right to freedom of expression.
Several lawmakers have suggested the Senate should hold hearings on the legislation before moving forward.
npr.org/2024/03/13/123…
Who would buy TikTok?
The app is valued at $50 billion while its parent company ByteDance is valued at $275 billion.
60% of ByteDance “is beneficially owned by global institutional investors such as Carlyle Group, General Atlantic, and Susquehanna International Group,” 20% is owned by “ByteDance employees around the world” and the rest owned by its founder.
Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of video game company Activision Blizzard, has expressed interest in forming a coalition of buyers.
.
timesnownews.com/world/us/us-ne…
bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/…
washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/…
The app is valued at $50 billion while its parent company ByteDance is valued at $275 billion.
60% of ByteDance “is beneficially owned by global institutional investors such as Carlyle Group, General Atlantic, and Susquehanna International Group,” 20% is owned by “ByteDance employees around the world” and the rest owned by its founder.
Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of video game company Activision Blizzard, has expressed interest in forming a coalition of buyers.
.
timesnownews.com/world/us/us-ne…
bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/…
washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/…
This is a targeted campaign against TikTok under the guise of protection against “foreign interests,” especially in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the popularity of the platform in spreading awareness.
What we need is comprehensive data privacy legislation to be applied to all social media platforms, most importantly Meta which collects far more data on its users and censors pro- Palestinian content indiscriminately.
What we need is comprehensive data privacy legislation to be applied to all social media platforms, most importantly Meta which collects far more data on its users and censors pro- Palestinian content indiscriminately.
In summary:
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