Is a TikTok ban the latest battle in the 'Tech Cold War'?
If a House bill becomes law, TikTok’s parent company would be forced to divest the app within 180 days, or risk having its access to American distribution channels and technical infrastructure cut off. But why now, and how does this fit into the bigger picture of U.S.-China relations?
The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of a bill that would require TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its stake in the popular video-sharing app within 180 days (final vote: 352 to 65, 1 present). Should the bill become law, and should ByteDance fail to comply, TikTok would be banned from U.S.-based app stores and web hosting services (WaPo).
The arguments in favor are a popcorn bucket of election-year fear-mongering, drizzled with valid national security concerns. The arguments in opposition are a trail mix of reductive talking points, salted with valid civil rights concerns.
Hurry up and wait
- Biden says he’d sign bill that could ban TikTok if Congress passes it: “If they pass it, I’ll sign it,” [President Biden] told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland’s Prince George’s County on March 8, 2024.
- Senate Hits Brakes On Possible TikTok Ban: "Many senators share concerns about TikTok and its influence on Americans, but members on both sides of the aisle expressed unease about the House legislation on Tuesday. They cited how the bill takes specific aim at one company instead of the industry at large, which could open it up to potential legal challenges. They also worried about its effects on free speech in the U.S. and whether there might be unforeseen consequences to U.S. businesses."
The latest salvo in the 'Tech Cold War'?
- China says TikTok ban would ‘come back to bite the United States’: '“Although the United States has never found evidence that TikTok threatens US national security, it has not stopped suppressing TikTok,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, according to Agence France-Presse.'
- Microsoft report: Chinese state-affiliated threat actors are using AI for offensive cyber operations: "Salmon Typhoon (SODIUM) is a sophisticated Chinese state-affiliated threat actor with a history of targeting US defense contractors, government agencies, and entities within the cryptographic technology sector."
- Tech Cold War: US-China clash heats up with ASML block: "ASML, a leading supplier of chip-making equipment, has canceled some of its shipments to China after the US government intervened."
A moot point?
TikTok's growth rate has collapsed: "After demolishing the competition from 2020 through the first half of 2022, TikTok's DAU growth rate has collapsed. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the video service lagged Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Yes, you read that right: The ancient big blue app grew faster than TikTok."
What's the take?
Eva Galperin – Director of Cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
Ian Bremmer – rapporteur of the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, foreign affairs columnist and editor at large for Time magazine, and President of Eurasia Group:
@ianbremmer@threads.net via Threads | https://www.threads.net/@ianbremmer/post/C4c-cY0LQPt | https://www.threads.net/@ianbremmer/post/C4dl0NErvHE
Marcus Hutchins – a cybersecurity expert, renowned ex-hacker, and digital influencer:
