They're coming to take your phones? Out of my cold dead hands doesn't conjure the same image here.
Of all the things congress could ban to keep the American public safe (we'll let you make your own list here), it chose a video sharing social media app. If the law goes into effect, over 170 million Americans could have their phones seized.
I said could. The law doesn't actually say the g-men will be knocking down your doors and taking your I-Phone. But how else do you enforce a ban on an app?
Those of you still using flip phones are safe. Good on you for seeing the future as it was.
Tick tock is the sound of the alarm clock approaching time's up for TikTok. The only way out for the Chinese held social media app is if it is sold to a company outside the People's Republic.
Because congress isn't really concerned that social media companies harvest your personal information and sell it to the highest bidder. That's the entire business plan for Meta and Google and X.
They're also not concerned that you might be force fed misinformation and conspiratorial innuendo from unknown origins masquerading as friends and allies. They could care less that you might be manipulated by bad actors on social media. It got many of them elected. Also part of the previous threes' business plans.
No, the problem with TikTok is China. The People's Republic of to be precise. The app was created by ByteDance, a software company created by a young software engineer and entrepreneur from Beijing. The "app factory" created several popular applications in China and is valued at over 260 billion dollars. TikTok is the international version of the app Douyin.
No connection has been made between the company and the Communist Party of China. But, according to Chinese law, the Chinese government could end up with your information and soon manipulate you, too.
And nobody wants that. Putin might get jealous.
I'm not suggesting putting guardrails on a Chinese based information gathering (and manipulating) entity is a bad idea. I'm suggesting putting guardrails on Earth based information gathering (and manipulating) entities is a better idea.
It's true China could use our information against us. Just like others would and have done using Facebook, Instagram, TwitterX, and YouTube. They all need very hard and strong boundaries and they prove it every day.
So maybe we should all get a little warm and fuzzy that R's and D's agree on something and Smokin Joe is gung-ho to sign that puppy. It's a kumbaya moment. Just ignore the less enthusiastic senators, please.
It's just too bad they all agree on a bad idea.
Reports have shown TikTok contributed over 20 billion dollars to the American GDP in 2023. Banning TikTok in America will financially devastate well over 200,000 content creators and really annoy 170 million more of us. People need their fixes of people dancing in their underwear!
Oddly enough, it was a Republican led idea. Who would have thought?