Why TikTok Will Be Banned or Divested in the United States
The writing is on their For You wall
A few weeks ago I predicted (on TikTok!) that TikTok will be banned in the United States or ByteDance will divest its ownership interest. That prediction is inching closer to reality.
A middle-ground solution is unlikely. Any solution that continues to give ByteDance, a Chinese company, majority ownership and control over TikTok threatens U.S. national security interests, not to mention the minds of millions outside China.
Have you seen the remarkable difference between China’s version of TikTok compared to the rest of the world?
But let’s be honest. TikTok is a great app. I love it. It’s the most engaging and interesting social media platform I’ve ever used. The algorithm is scary good.
So good in fact that I’ve more than once thought it was listening to me. Or watched what I typed outside the app. Maybe it was. It has always seemed to know just a little too much about me. Especially after I’ve casually said something that then magically appears in my For You feed hours later.
TikTok is also insanely addictive. At least the version outside China. The millions of westerners who use the app regularly make it commercially strong, but at the same time…
