US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia are four of the “Five Eyes” surveillance community (the fifth is the UK) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes
Yes. Given that it’s very surprising to see the UK not mentioned.
TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
11–20 of 151 posts
Re: TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
#12It continues to be damning that the leadership of Microsoft did not buy Vine [1] from Twitter in 2017 for pennies on the dollar before Vine was shutdown. Vine was very popular, and a lot of people were very disappointed when it was shutdown back when Twitter was bleeding a lot cash.
Re: TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
#13Prior TikTok/Microsoft discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24032667
Re: TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
#14> who saw value in an American company getting access to sophisticated TikTok algorithms
Caused me to spit-take.
Re: TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
#15"Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury." => So US Treasury will give MS money to buy TikTok (US market only)? And they have limited time to make this deal? So US Treasury will effectivelly own the US Tik…
I read "providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury" as just meaning Microsoft will make money (and hence pay tax) on this. Am I being naive?
Apparently yes:
A transaction of the type the president envisions could also prove more expensive than the one Microsoft described on Sunday. Trump said Monday that part of the amount paid to buy TikTok would have to come to the U.S. Treasury Department because it would be making the deal possible.
“It’s a little bit like the landlord/tenant; without a lease the tenant has nothing, so they pay what’s called ‘key money,’ or they pay something,” Trump said. “But the United States should be reimbursed or should be paid a substantial amount of money, because without the United States they don’t have anything, at least having to do with the 30%.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/03/president-trump-might-be-eas...
So, to summarise: the president of the United States is openly advocating applying illegal real estate extortion/bribery practices to major M&A deals with geopolitical implications.
Re: TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
#16"Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury." => So US Treasury will give MS money to buy TikTok (US market only)? And they have limited time to make this deal? So US Treasury will effectivelly own the US Tik…
I read "providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury" as just meaning Microsoft will make money (and hence pay tax) on this. Am I being naive?
Trump seems to have some idea about the US being like a landlord in this deal, it's been widely reported:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/video/2020/aug/04/tru...
Re: TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
#17"Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury." => So US Treasury will give MS money to buy TikTok (US market only)? And they have limited time to make this deal? So US Treasury will effectivelly own the US Tik…
I read "providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury" as just meaning Microsoft will make money (and hence pay tax) on this. Am I being naive?
> Am I being naive?
Possibly.
Axios[0] quotes Trump as saying: “A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States. Because we’re making it possible for this deal to happen. Right now they don’t have any rights, unless we give it to them. So if we’re going to give them the rights, it has to come into this country. It’s a little bit like the landlord/tenant”.
Make of that what you will, but it doesn’t sound like he’s talking about just taxes to me.
[0]: https://www.axios.com/trump-tiktok-banned-microsoft-fd45748d...
Re: TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
I read "providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury" as just meaning Microsoft will make money (and hence pay tax) on this. Am I being naive?
> Am I being naive? Possibly. Axios[0] quotes Trump as saying: “A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States. Because we’re making it possible for this deal to happen. Right now they don’t have any rights, unless we give it to them. So if we’re going to give them the rights, it has to come into this country. It’s a little bit like the landlord/tenant”. Make…
I'm probably being stupid, but how is that not absolutely terrifying for US companies? The deal seems to be that all acquisition of foreign companies has to have a kickback to the treasury because they could always just ban the company you bought otherwise?
Re: TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
#19Didn't Microsoft become significantly more involved in donating to US politicians after they got hit with that anti-trust case? It'd be very interesting to follow the money here, not sure if there's enough publicly available data to DIY the digging though.
What are you supposed to do with an influence peddling racket? Microsoft is playing the same game as everyone else.
Re: TikTok and Microsoft’s Clock
#20US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia are four of the “Five Eyes” surveillance community (the fifth is the UK) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes
Yes. Given that it’s very surprising to see the UK not mentioned.
I had the same reaction, until I learned that the ByteDance founders are working to relocate[1] outside of China, probably to London.
1. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-bytedance-britain/t...