If you follow global political and economic news, you've probably heard about... draft bill to ban TikTok in the United StatesApproved in record time by both the US House and Senate, and immediately signed into law by then-President Joe Biden, the law surprised the community and frightened users. Experts, however, had already anticipated something like this – as... The duality between the US and China intensifies.Follow this article to truly understand. What's behind the TikTok ban? And scenes from the next chapter.
Ban
Approved last April 23, 2024The legislation states that the company responsible for TikTok, the Chinese woman ByteDance, You have 270 days to sell the part responsible for managing the app in the United States. to a national company. There is a possibility of extending this deadline for another 90 days, totaling 1 year.
If ByteDance refuses to comply with the order, or fails to find any American company to sell (estimated sale price of U$100 billion), TikTok will be removed from all app stores. and all of its hosting services in the US will be interrupted.
After approval, Shou Chew (ByteDance CEO) responded in a video that it was a “unconstitutional” measureHe stated that TikTok will not leave the US, and that such a law would represent a "Trampling" of Americans' freedom of expression (approximately 170 million American citizens are users of the app).
Behind the scenes
THE official justification for the ban it would be alleged data collection that the Chinese company promotes from its usersThe American government would therefore be protecting the private information of users that were being used without their consent by the platform. The US House of Representatives also announced that the ban would... part of a larger package of sanctions related to the country's adversariesincluding China and Russia.
This additional justification seems the most assertive: a ideological and influence warfareGiven the almost crucial role of social media in disseminating opinions and ideologies, both China and the US are vying for control – an ideological and technological rivalry, so to speak.
The American government views the growing influence of Chinese technology with apprehension. threatening national security and its geopolitical omnipresence.
Accusations
The US accuses ByteDance and TikTok of promoting alleged bias regarding content. More visible videos, such as those related to the Chinese government (such as posts about Taiwan, whose autonomy is not recognized by China), would receive far less attention than those sensitive to the American government.
For the United States, TikTok may be using its algorithms. (And, incidentally, the app's algorithms are among the most accurate when it comes to delivering content of interest to the user.) in a biased wayThis is something that greatly concerns the American government, especially regarding its misuse in elections in the country. The app, on the other hand, It claims that it works organically and reflects the real interests of users..
Ideological War
THE American justification It makes sense, but it shows. completely one-sidedThis is because many other social media platforms also handle users' private data, using algorithms that are not very transparent and even have proven cases of leaks and manipulation.
Goal and their applications Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp They remain active in American territory. So what would be the difference with TikTok?
Yes, the TikTok reflects Chinese interests.! He Break the current market dominance of big tech companies. – all American companies (Meta, Google, and Apple). The ban would therefore have much less to do with privacy and security concerns, and more to do with making it more difficult for China to enter this market.
A kind of lead exchanged, in the end China is known for imposing barriers against American apps. in the country. Virtually all globally known apps in the West have similar versions for use only in China.
Security?
Would we then believe that the ban was a measure taken by the American government in the name of privacy and security? Or trust that China is fighting for freedom of expression and/or free competition?
Not at all! It's all just a game of influence and power! Who would have imagined that TikTok dances would cause so much trouble!
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