Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

TikTok ban in the US - what’s the aim here?

129 replies

Errors · 18/01/2025 22:30

I couldn’t see another thread on this. If there is one, please link it as it’d be interesting to read.

Is this genuine concern over harvesting of data? Or a play to pull all social media in the US under government control? Musk already owns X, if he was to buy TikTok then surely you’re looking at large swathes of social media being run by the government?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Thread gallery
10
BananaNirvana · 19/01/2025 22:25

Exactly what I said this morning on this thread - Trump gets the credit 🙄

BelligerentToad · 19/01/2025 22:20

Apparently it’s back up for USA?

noblegiraffe · 19/01/2025 18:47

In the Times "The greatest achievement of Donald Trump’s first term was to take a scalpel to much of this corruption: kicking Huawei out of US infrastructure, putting an embargo on advanced semiconductors and initiating the US shutdown of TikTok, a company that has reams of data on 170 million American users, manipulates its news feed to favour the CCP and is proving a vital asset as the world moves towards hot war.

What was the CCP’s response? Peer-reviewed papers reveal covert manipulation of the TikTok algorithm — in which the CCP owns a golden share — to assist Trump’s 2024 victory by allowing more posts that questioned the 2020 election result and inflamed woke issues (it is remarkable how often key Trump acolytes cite TikTok as a key factor in the landslide). One also notes that Jeffrey Yass, who owns 15 per cent of TikTok, has given tens of millions of dollars to Republican candidates and is a key Trump donor. Trump now — surprise, surprise — professes himself “warm” towards the company and may reverse the ban. In other words, the gambit seems to have weakened the hawkish stance of this famously transactional president."

https://www.thetimes.com/article/968f8606-a3e6-46d7-b655-902aa9f2a16e?shareToken=d7159d6f69b3e0589aa99fc55549b751

So the announcement crediting Trump, which will undoubtedly make Trump very popular with American TikTok fans is not that surprising, I guess.

The TikTok saga neatly embodies 40 years of being duped by China

There is one reason Trump has reversed his stance on the app: self-interest. This is how we’ve been corrupted

https://www.thetimes.com/article/968f8606-a3e6-46d7-b655-902aa9f2a16e?shareToken=d7159d6f69b3e0589aa99fc55549b751

biscuitsandbooks · 19/01/2025 18:39

femininomenon · 19/01/2025 18:15

I've just started getting US videos that have been posted in the last half an hour so that lasted a long time!!

I was just coming on here to say the same thing, lol.

It's back - hardly a surprise really.

noblegiraffe · 19/01/2025 18:16

This was on twitter.

TikTok ban in the US - what’s the aim here?
femininomenon · 19/01/2025 18:15

I've just started getting US videos that have been posted in the last half an hour so that lasted a long time!!

SerendipityJane · 19/01/2025 17:51

spuddy4 · 19/01/2025 17:40

Judging by Trumps latest statement it's all about ByteDance not selling TikTok to the US government. The phone I'm typing on now was made in China, it would be easy for them to slip some spyware into it or into any tech they make. When you consider how much of our stuff comes from China banning an app seems pointless unless they have another reason such as not having control over the content shown.

It's not the content.

noblegiraffe · 19/01/2025 17:48

Judging by Trumps latest statement it's all about ByteDance not selling TikTok to the US government

Well yes. Or at least to a US owner. They want it to remain under Chinese control.

Incidentally, when similar national security concerns were raised about Grindr, it was sold to a US company by its Chinese owner.

https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/06/grindr-sold-china-national-security/

"Last year, it was reported that while under Chinese ownership, Grindr allowed engineers in Beijing access to the personal data of millions of U.S. users, including their private messages and HIV status."

Grindr sold by Chinese owner after US raised national security concerns | TechCrunch

Grindr was found to have allowed engineers in Beijing access to Grindr's users' private data while under Chinese ownership.

https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/06/grindr-sold-china-national-security

spuddy4 · 19/01/2025 17:40

Judging by Trumps latest statement it's all about ByteDance not selling TikTok to the US government. The phone I'm typing on now was made in China, it would be easy for them to slip some spyware into it or into any tech they make. When you consider how much of our stuff comes from China banning an app seems pointless unless they have another reason such as not having control over the content shown.

EasternStandard · 19/01/2025 17:22

noblegiraffe · 19/01/2025 17:14

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001z7ww

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14239889/NIALL-FERGUSON-historian-World-War-Three-climate-change-nuclear.html

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/06/iran-russia-china-qatar-turkey-world-war-three/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/series/china-s-war-chest

This is hardly a fringe view, including among the international intelligence community. Bizarre to claim that it is.

I looked at these links. Did you read the Daily Mail link? I suppose many subscribe, not accessible here. The Telegraph says it’s already started. However we might even see the end to some conflicts in next few months.

You can hold these views, they won’t be banned even if they turn out to be wrong. Other people won’t be either on SM even if you disagree with their views.

EasternStandard · 19/01/2025 16:58

noblegiraffe · 19/01/2025 16:38

https://theweek.com/92967/are-we-heading-towards-world-war-3

I’m aware people read a lot of stuff that confirms their bias, it is always possible and not needed as links. Mn would fill up with the detritus of the internet.

Rabbit holes always throw up this stuff it’s why they work

EasternStandard · 19/01/2025 16:33

noblegiraffe · 19/01/2025 16:30

For those who don't seem to be abreast of the issues.

This isn’t an answer on the current U.K. position

Making claims about inevitable war etc as per pp is as much an issue / rabbit hole as any SM view

Not that a view should be banned, but then other views along the same lines shouldn’t be either.

noblegiraffe · 19/01/2025 16:29

Hufflemuff · 19/01/2025 16:16

It's Musk eradicating the competition. Give it 4 months and he will be starting a new platform that he owns!

He already has one?

Here's what Musk wants.

TikTok ban in the US - what’s the aim here?
CranfordScones · 19/01/2025 16:24

At a factual level: The ban is not connected to concerns over the content, so stop saying "it's no worse than xxxx".

The ban is because of potential risks to national security, similar to previous concerns with companies such as Huawei and Kaspersky.

Hufflemuff · 19/01/2025 16:16

It's Musk eradicating the competition. Give it 4 months and he will be starting a new platform that he owns!

Betchyaby · 19/01/2025 16:06

EasternStandard · 19/01/2025 15:57

By whose definition?

It seems to be yours not the UK gov who is keen to have closer ties

Show quote history

Enemies close and all that.

EasternStandard · 19/01/2025 15:57

noblegiraffe · 19/01/2025 15:21

No, it's controlled by a hostile foreign nation.

Which might be considered a bit of a problem.

Show quote history

By whose definition?

It seems to be yours not the UK gov who is keen to have closer ties

Betchyaby · 19/01/2025 15:55

I don't agree with it being banned because I believe in freedom of speech.

I do, however, think it is massively responsible for a generation of brain rotted children with 10 second attention spans and talentless adult narcissists prancing around like they are somehow relevant and to be admired.

China also use it to spy, so there is that.

Snorlaxo · 19/01/2025 15:23

@slimpicks TikTok is called Douyin in China

noblegiraffe · 19/01/2025 15:21

TrixieFatell · 19/01/2025 15:09

I'm not on tiktok but have used it. I can't see the difference between this and other social media platforms in terms of misinformation other than it's not controlled by the likes of Musk or Zuckerberg. Whilst I wouldn't miss it if it was banned I do think it's concerning how this one is being silenced and not the other ones owned and controlled by friends of Trunp

No, it's controlled by a hostile foreign nation.

Which might be considered a bit of a problem.