As a European I find this whole story very confusing. A president that can just force a specific company on very short notice to shut down operation, is very concerning. What is even more concerning is that a lot of people here tend to agree because of the China thing. If it is that important, why is there no law that enforces this?
To me, this whole TikTok escapade highlights just how dangerous the situation has become with privacy and "tech". From everything I have read and seen, "TikTok" is a gimmick, another frivolous way to kill time, a passing trend. This is not a company that produces anything important for society. Except when we consider that what the app purports to be for its users or advertisers is not its true value/purpose. TikTok is a surveillance vector. We can all pretend that privacy is not a serious issue except amongst tinfoil hats, activists or those tasked with defending the tech industry. However this bizarre story, to me, suggests otherwise. Personal data, access to it, the right to spy on millions of people, carried out by the private sector, is now being fought over by nation states. Younger generations should be up in arms over surveillance. Instead, at least in the US, they want to use these apps and work for these shameful companies. Older generations, who should know better, are willingly using Alexas and the like. Interesting times.