š Hey, Iām Andrea, and welcome to the Bi-Friday Edition of my newsletter, TechDBS. Every two Fridays, a brief reflection on technology.
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TikTok is undoubtedly one of the most beloved social networks, capable not only of attracting new users but also of keeping them active on the platform.
According to some sources (We Are Social, DataReportal, Meltwater), TikTok would be the fifth most used social network in the world, second only to YouTube and Meta's social networks (Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram). The graph below shows the number of active users (in millions) during the month of January 2024.
But there's more. In simple terms, as of January 2024, the United States had the most TikTok users, with nearly 150 million people using the app. Indonesia followed with about 126 million users, and Brazil was third with close to 99 million users.
These individuals are all enjoying short videos on TikTok. Are you too?
Yes, you read that correctly, and I highlight it once more: The United States is the country where TikTok is most used. While not everyone views this as an issue, some people do, especially considering that ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, is Chinese.
In a significant development highlighting growing apprehensions, American legislators have recently voted by a large majority to require the sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner, leading to a blend of confusion and disappointment from TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew. Chew's confusion arises from his stated uncertainty about the precise misconduct attributed to TikTok, despite explicit concerns voiced by U.S. lawmakers. Concerns arise regarding the potential impact of ByteDance's ownership on American personal data and its influence on U.S. elections through disinformation campaigns, given the widespread popularity of TikTok among the youth of the country.
The FBI and U.S. intelligence agencies have publicly shared their concerns, highlighting the potential national security threats because of the Chinese company's ownership of such a widespread social media platform. Hypothetical or not, is something the country (and the world) is talking about.
Despite TikTok's rebuttals to these claims and its assertions of autonomy from the Chinese government, bipartisan support for legislative measures has materialized. This led to the House of Representatives casting a vote of 362-65 to ban app stores from offering TikTok unless ByteDance sells the platform within 180 days, a decision TikTok has decried as unconstitutional.
There are rumors that some groups of investors or companies might be interested in acquiring TikTok's U.S. branch to address this issue. Here, the problem is not who buys what but why that thing is being bought. Probably, this is one of the first times that politics has to deal so drastically with the concept of the free market that the United States has always promoted.
Is it truly a political case that so many Americans are using a Chinese social network? No one has a very crystal clear idea about it. But, following the previous discussion, it's crucial to underline that concerns about TikTok's data privacy and cybersecurity implications extend beyond the United States.
In a considerable move in February 2023, the European Commission announced measures aimed at "protecting data and enhancing cybersecurity," directly addressing the issues associated with TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. TikTok has been at the heart of controversies, facing allegation of data harvesting practices allegedly benefiting the Chinese government. Despite TikTok's assurances that its operational standards are on par with those of other social media networks, the EU's executive body, represented by spokesperson Sonya Gospodinova, announced a ban on the use of TikTok within the European Commission.
And yet, recently, TikTok has faced a substantial penalty in the European Union, being fined ā¬345 million over its handling of the personal data of children and teenage users. This marks the first time the Chinese-owned social media platform has received such a fine from the EU bloc. Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which acts as the main regulator, imposed the fine, ensuring compliance with EU data protection laws for TikTok Technology. The announcement followed an extensive investigation that began in September 2021, underscoring the EU's strict enforcement of data protection standards and its dedication to protecting the privacy rights of younger internet users.
The dynamics between economic growth, capitalism, and nationalism, as highlighted, are becoming increasingly defined in the digital age. TikTok's story, in particular, serves as a simple example of how the global landscape has changed (and is changing), showcasing the internet's ability to transcend national borders and challenge traditional power dynamics. This scenario is not without its challenges, as it raises issues related to sovereignty, content regulation, and data security, forcing governments and international organizations to rethink their strategies in an increasingly interconnected context. TikTok's narrative is more than just an examination of how the digital economy has gone global; it also serves as a tale about the delicate balance between openness and control in a world where distances are shrinking, yet complexities are mounting.
A limitation attempt had already been made with Huawei in the past, the Chinese multinational technology company known for its telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics, and as a leading developer of 5G technology. In 2019, President Trump signed an executive order to block Chinese companies like Huawei from supplying telecommunications equipment in the U.S., calling national security concerns over potential sabotage and harm to the U.S.
The issue with TikTok is different, let's say, less industrial, and involves consumer users who use the app daily. Moreover, acquiring operations in the United States by a consortium of investors might appear impressive on the surface, with a large user base and extensive data, but lacking the fundamental engine that drives everything. Itās a sort of patch to extinguish the media fire of this month (a sort of veiled ban on capitalism?). But the law of the market is always the same and is based (guess what?) on the market, then come the regulations, on top. If TikTok was an actual enemy, wouldn't it have been useful to consider it earlier?
Thatās all for today,
Andrea
Iām taking a pause. For the next two weeks, there will not be new updates.