The article conveniently forgets to mention that Musical.ly was founded by Chinese founders and headquartered in Shanghai. Maybe they technically were an American company, but it's not clear the outcome would have been much different from a "national security" perspective.
U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
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Re: U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
#72It was clear to me how threatened Facebook was by TikTok when I brought it up with an employee in June. They kept mentioning infinite scroll, and that everyone was supposed to be thinking about how to incorporate that into product. After zuck discussed TikTok directly recently, I’m not surprised google and fb lobbyists would press for this investigation. One question I have, is the real-time interests of millions of…
16-24 yo (and even younger) American kids/youth being exposed to Chinese propoganda and censorship is most definitely a national security concern.
I use TikTok a lot. Censorship is a concern, I agree, but propaganda is unlikely just given how the "For You" algorithmic curation works.
Re: U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
What’s the point here though? America et al also don’t like certain things being published on social media and try stop it from existing on those platforms too.
I can post on Facebook that I disagree with president Trump and he is a liar, try doing the same in China. (Please don't take my comment as a suggestion about President Trump, just trying to make a point).
I bet nobody in China would bat an eye if you called Trump a liar.
There is even an old soviet joke about this.
Re: U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
#74unrelated question: but why would any investigator leak information like this? who benefits?
i suppose there are trade deal talks going on between us and china?
Re: U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
#75Musical.ly was started by entrepreneurs in Shanghai. Although it may have had US and Japanese investors, I don't think it was an American company. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical.ly
>"It’s the first company to be headquartered in China, designed in China, but popular in the US," said Greylock investor Josh Elman. "Finally we’re seeing talented people who live in that ecosystem in that world and actually transcend it and build products in the US."
Re: U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most people probably realize it. What we need is for the American CEOs, financial elite, members of government that have investments in China to invest in their own country rather than in a lop-sided trade economy that doesn't allow free flow of money back to the US.
This is an area where both the right and left can find agreement.
Doesn't 1 side support globalism politically though?
Re: U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
#77I highly recommend folks listen to recent episodes of Ben Thompson’s exponent podcast where he discusses TikTok and its influence in the USA. He makes the point that US consumers become subject to Chinese censorship policies when using the platform while China outright bans or heavily restricts American companies from operating (eg google search, Facebook).
I tried to find it but failed. Do you happen to remember the date it aired?
Episode 175
Re: U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
#78I would support a wholesale ban on Chinese acquisitions of American companies until American companies are allowed to acquire Chinese companies (or otherwise operate in China). These ridiculous double standards from China are not free trade, and we should stop pretending it is.
What about French companies buying strategically important companies in the US? That then gets bought by a Chinese company at a later date? Is it a French company still?
The US would require the French company to sell the US subsidiary before China could buy it.
Re: U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
#79The censorship argument against TikTok seems odd given that Trump supporters are a prominent voice on the platform (I'm a huge TikTok user). Wouldn't its Chinese masters want to silence support for him as well? Why haven't they?
To be clear, I don't like the idea of foreign state controlled major social platforms opaque to US oversight. I'm commenting specifically on the argument that TikTok silences Hong Kong supporters.
Re: U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
Iow, the presence of non-US cultures on a feed can harm US children?
If that non-US culture advocates that democracy is a threat to society, or that political re-education camps are not an issue, I would say that yes, we need to keep that out.
I didn’t know TikTok was doing these things. Well, in this case it deserves to be shut down obviously.