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ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

reuters.com

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Re: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

#21

Post by miragecraft »

simlevesque wrote: post #3

It never was about ByteDance. It's the Chinese government who will decide. From their point of view, the right strategic move is to shut it down. Even if every other country bans the app it doesn't impact them much. Also they hate doing things that make then look weak. If they sell, they lose their influence. If they shut down, same thing.

I doubt it, their core competitive advantage is their algorithms which they would have to disclose in a sale.

So they wouldn’t be selling the US subsidiary, they’d be selling the entire golden goose.

Re: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

#22

Post by underseacables »

DotaFan wrote: post #14

I've noticed my TikTok feed is full of "Bosnian Serbs want emancipation, war is looming on Western Balkan" type of videos lately. My guess is Russia and China want another war far from Ukraine so western nations focus less on Ukraine.

If you think about it, social media is a great propaganda tool if you are a bad state actor. Content for young people and indoctrination delivered right to their eyeballs.

Re: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

#23

Post by nullindividual »

CodesInChaos wrote: post #16

I wonder if this choice will have an effect on the upcoming US elections, with TikTok users blaming the current government for losing access to their favourite app.

Given the impetus for some congress critters to change their No vote to a Yes vote was the very young teenagers calling their offices and having zero idea what this is about or what to ask for simply based on Tiktok's fearmongering, not much.

Maybe in another four years when they're old enough to vote.

Re: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

#24

Post by deadbabe »

coolbreezetft24 wrote: post #11
deadbabe wrote: post #4

It’s exciting to think that by this time next year, TikTok can be nothing more than a distant memory. RIP Vine

There will just be something else that's basically the same thing

The idea of something to replace TikTok is exciting. With each new social network there is so much opportunity to start a new following and it’s easier to go viral. The first rounds of ads are also more effective.

Re: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

#25

Post by geraltofrivia »

bogwog wrote: post #10

US businesses that try to compete with big tech don't stand a chance no matter how innovative because they'll either be bought and killed, or killed/suppressed through some illegal business practices from big tech that government won't or can't stop. When an innovative foreign company comes in that Facebook/Google/Microsoft/Apple/Amazon/etc can't buy, the government ends up killing it. Optimistically, this will creat…

In India, tiktok ban migrated the people off to instagram, and in my (subjective) opinion we are worse off for it.

Re: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

#26

Post by renewiltord »

Unsurprising, I suppose. Google didn't sell their China operations to the Chinese government's choice. It's a sign of declining US power that this nation has to resort to the same moves as China does. Previously, American stuff was just better and protectionism wasn't required. Now the Chinede thing is better so we have to do this.

Can't be helped. Everything must play out this way. We're too weak to just beat them so we're forced to do this. But we still have to do it.

Re: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

#27

Post by next_xibalba »

India banned TikTok (without the option to divest) and everything was fine. And they didn't limit the ban to TikTok:

"TikTok wasn’t a one-off case. Today, India has banned over 500 Chinese apps to date." [1]

If ByteDance won't sell, let them shutdown. It is truly baffling to me that anyone would defend a company's right to operate freely in the U.S. when it is controlled by a brutal autocracy that is also an emerging adversary.

[1] https://apnews.com/article/india-tiktok-ban-us-china-9ae5223...

Re: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

#29

Post by matwood »

AlexandrB wrote: post #6
simlevesque wrote: post #3

It never was about ByteDance. It's the Chinese government who will decide. From their point of view, the right strategic move is to shut it down. Even if every other country bans the app it doesn't impact them much. Also they hate doing things that make then look weak. If they sell, they lose their influence. If they shut down, same thing.

> It never was about ByteDance. It's the Chinese government who will decide. This makes for a pithy statement, but is it actually true? Obviously the Chinese government has a lot of influence on Chinese companies, but do they actually dictate strategic direction like this?

ByteDance has a number of big US investors. A sale or divestiture of Chinese ownership would be good for these investors. From a purely financial view, selling is the right move. The only reason not to sell is because a player who doesn't care about money is putting the brakes on.

I also think if they pull out of the US, it's not improbable for the EU to also push TikTok to make changes.

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