If you love TikTok, you’re not alone. One over there A billion You are using the app now., of which 170 million are Americans alone. Many of those millions are, of course, worried and angry about a bill passed by the House this week that could ban the app in the US. Although the bill’s fate in the Senate is uncertain, were it to pass, President Biden says he will sign it. And unless parent company ByteDance manages to sell the app within six months of this signing, we’ll be saying goodbye to TikTok in the US.
I sympathize with anyone worried about the prospect of losing their favorite app. But we need to take a step back here: whether lawmakers are cracking down on the app, or TikTok is fighting for its life, the situation is spiraling out of control and weird. And whatever happens here, I’m not sure it’s going to be good.
Congress is a bunch of selfless hypocrites.
Let’s not beat around the bush here: Congress is. no Handle this situation well.
Yes, lawmakers are concerned about the security implications of one. on a large scale A popular app powered by a powerful algorithm controlled by a Chinese company. They’re worried about how the app is addicting American kids, and how it could affect them. But good lord: can we act like adults here?
The first example that comes to mind is, of course, Sen. Tom Cotton. Even if you don’t know who Sean Cotton is, you’ve seen him. The infamous interrogation of TikTok CEO Shu Zhiqiu. Sean Cotton was adamant. Shu questioned Chiu’s ties to China, drilling him about whether or not he had ever been a member of the Chinese Communist Party—despite Chiu’s repeated affirmations that he was not really from China. He is a citizen of Singapore. Shu Ze Chiu’s response, “Senator, I’m Singaporean, no,” is now a meme:
Chew also had last year’s congressional grilling.too: Many lawmakers took the opportunity to express their own beliefs about the app rather than allow Chew to answer questions or provide context. As CNN highlighted.when Chiu asked if he could respond to Rep. Kate Cammick’s critical speech, the committee chair said, “No. We’re going to move on.”
This Really It doesn’t help that Congress is so focused on TikTok, when many of the biggest names in tech have very similar privacy policies. We don’t have anything like that. Europe’s GDPR here, and while we passively benefit from some of these protections, the lack of real US laws in this area means that US tech companies also scrape and misuse our data. It’s no secret, either: we all know these companies collect more and more of our data and track our habits. All we know is that our lawmakers have no interest in regulating this activity, and that it’s up to us to configure every privacy setting we’re given, or download certain privacy-oriented apps. When it’s Meta or Google, it is Fine. When it’s an app like TikTok, it should be stopped at all costs.
It’s these kinds of theatrics and contradictions that have completely undermined Congress’s arguments in the eyes of many TikTok users here. People see xenophobia and hypocrisy: They won’t take Sean Cotton’s concerns seriously when he stupidly accuses the CEO of his favorite app of being a citizen of another country, at every American company now. Eyes are closed. Want their data.
TikTok is not innocent either.
Look, Congress is messing it up. Bad. But that doesn’t mean TikTok is on the winning side here either. Unfortunately, Congress has some pointers here when it comes to app security concerns. Yes, American companies do it too: But TikTok is not owned by an American company. ByteDance has to answer to the Chinese government, and there are. Laws in China That requires companies like ByteDance to hand over user data, including data from US users. I don’t blame the US government for not wanting their citizens’ data to be sent to a foreign government.
While many privacy and security concerns are fictitious, not all are. In 2022, ByteDance employees obtained the IP addresses of American journalists. from their TikTok accounts in an attempt to root anyone leaking company secrets. last year, TikTok has confirmed that some US user data is stored in China.This was not the case, despite the company’s earlier assurances.
And then there is that famous algorithm. What makes TikTok so fun and addictive is the algorithm. Very It’s good to show you content it thinks you’ll want to see. That’s all well and good when you’re interested in comedy, cooking, and even a different point of view. But it’s not unreasonable for lawmakers to be concerned that an app with a large American user base and a highly persuasive algorithm operated by a company based in a geopolitical rival’s nation could potentially compromise some of that content. may have an effect that users see.
Users criticizing the lawmakers see TikTok’s concerns as more about the US government’s lack of control over the information it offers than issues related to manipulation, and in some cases They may even be right. But to claim that TikTok and its parent company are a neutral party interested only in providing raw, unbiased truths is ludicrous. TikTok and ByteDance aren’t free press: they’re businesses, and like other businesses, they have a key interest in your data and keeping you in the app for as long as possible. And while there’s no evidence that the Chinese government has pushed TikTok to promote content specific to American users, I can appreciate the concern here.
TikTok is already using its authority to influence its users. Yesterday, the company posted a video of TikTok CEO Chiu, Advocating for TikTok using TikTok. I understand: The company does. no I want this bill to be passed. But the app is advertising its plight on the app to users, asking them. The Congress expressed its displeasure with the phone calls.. I can imagine a concerned member of Congress debating whether to pass this bill, reading the comments on this video with trepidation. TikTok clearly has enormous influence over a large part of the country, and the company isn’t doing much to convince lawmakers that the situation isn’t alarming.
It’s the users who are really going through it right now.
Both Congress and TikTok have their points and their huge faults, but at the end of the day, it’s the users who are really caught in the crossfire here. in vain. Not only do many of these millions enjoy using the app for pointless entertainment, but many depend on the app for their livelihood. There are some guesses. Seven million small businesses that use TikTok.and while there are plenty of other social media apps out there to build an audience, banning this app will undoubtedly have a negative impact on all those who currently rely on it.
If I can wave a stick and force Congress to pass. Original Privacy laws that protect all Americans — so whether you’re TikTok or Facebook, you need to play by the same rules. This is what we desperately need, not unilateral legislation targeting a single app. TikTok has many problems. The US government is facing many problems. This whole situation is a mess, and I’m struggling to see any good outcome from this.
Credit : lifehacker.com