Trump to Ban TikTok – and Tencent?

[Region of Dwipantara]

President Donald Trump has announced he is banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok in the US.

He told reporters he could sign an executive order as early as Saturday.

US security officials have expressed concern that the app, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, could be used to collect the personal data of Americans.

TikTok has denied accusations that it is controlled by or shares data with the Chinese government.

The fast-growing app has up to 80 million active monthly users in America and the ban would be a major blow for ByteDance.

"As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States," Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

It was not immediately clear what authority Mr Trump has to ban TikTok, how that ban would be enforced and what legal challenges it would face.

Microsoft has reportedly been in talks to buy the app from ByteDance, but Mr Trump appeared to cast doubt that such a deal would be allowed to go through. If the deal went ahead reports say it would involve ByteDance shedding TikTok's US operations.

A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment on Mr Trump's mooted ban, but told US media outlets the company was "confident in the long-term success of TikTok" in the US.

The move to ban TikTok comes at a time of heightened tensions between the Trump administration and the Chinese government over a number of issues, including trade disputes and Beijing's handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

...The app is reported to have around 800 million active monthly users, most of whom are in the US and India.

India has already blocked TikTok as well as other Chinese apps. Australia, which has already banned Huawei and telecom equipment-maker ZTE, is also considering banning TikTok.

US officials and politicians have raised concerns data collected by ByteDance via TikTok may end up being passed to the Chinese government.

TikTok operates a similar but separate version of the app in China, known as Douyin. It says all US user data is stored in the US, with a backup in Singapore.

This week, TikTok told users and regulators it would observe a high level of transparency, including allowing reviews of its algorithms.

"We are not political, we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda - our only objective is to remain a vibrant, dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy," the CEO of TikTok, Kevin Mayer, said in a post this week .

"TikTok has become the latest target, but we are not the enemy."

Sauce https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co ... a-53619287

It was Huawei; now it's TikTok's time to the chopping block. I don't really understand why would Trump be opposed to Microsoft acquiring TikTok – wouldn't it bring TikTok under US control? I can't speak too much on how big of threat TikTok's handling of US citizen's data is. Although, they did say this:

TikTok US user data is stored in the US, with strict controls on employee access. TikTok’s biggest investors come from the US. We are committed to protecting our users’ privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform,” said a TikTok spokesperson.

...TikTok’s comms team also tried to assuage concerns by reiterating that four of its parent company’s five board seats are “controlled by some of the world’s best-respected global investors,” including Arthur Dantchik, managing director of Susquehanna International Group; William Ford, CEO of General Atlantic; Philippe Laffont, founder of Coatue Management; and Neil Shen, the boss of Sequoia China. ByteDance founder and CEO Zhang Yiming is the chairman of the board.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/techcrunch ... iktok/amp/

It’s worth noting that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) still hasn’t released its decision on whether the Musical.ly-TikTok merger constitutes a national security threat to the U.S. Even if it orders TikTok to shed Musical.ly, it’s unclear how the sale will happen in practice. When ByteDance merged the two apps back in 2018, it asked Musical.ly’s existing users to download the TikTok app, which already had users, so all of TikTok’s current users are, technically, TikTok users. Now, I'm neither a TikTok user nor a US citizen, so this doesn't concern me in the slightest. However, such a move would obviously impact the 100 million users greatly. Should TikTok be banned, like in India and potentially Australia? Is this a governmental overreach?

MAJOR UPDATE: Trump finally sign an executive order banning ByteDance... and Tencent. Tencent is a massive Chinese tech conglomeracy with big stakes in a lot of areas.

While the move against TikTok’s owner — Beijing-based Bytedance — was not a huge surprise, action against WeChat’s owner — Shenzhen-based tech giant Tencent Holdings Inc. — was.

That’s because Tencent is one of the world’s largest and most valuable companies, with ownership stakes in a number of U.S. videogame companies, including Riot Games, which makes “League of Legends”; Epic Games, which makes “Fortnite”; and Activision Blizzard ATVI , which makes “World of Warcraft.”

Tencent also has significant stakes in Tesla Inc. TSLA and Snap Inc. SNAP , the maker of Snapchat, and the Chinese company has streaming deals in place with the NBA, the NFL and Major League Baseball. The order could potentially also affect Apple Inc. AAPL and Alphabet’s GOOGL GOOG Google app stores, which feature Tencent-owned apps.

The executive order took aim directly at WeChat, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide, and whose “data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information,” the order said.

Tencent shares 700 in Hong Kong sank in Friday trading after the announcement. The news broke after the extended trading session in the U.S. closed, but traders will likely keep a close eye on how shares of Tesla, Activision Blizzard and others fare in the morning.

Banning all business by U.S. companies with WeChat’s parent — if that is the case — could prove to have much farther-reaching effects than Trump may have anticipated.

“Likely he had no idea,” tech journalist Kara Swisher tweeted Thursday night.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.market ... 2020-08-06

[The Greater Ohio Valley]

Ironic that the Trump administration is so concerned about TikTok collecting personal data and information on Americans for the PRC yet most, if not all, major US tech companies and even the US government itself does the exact same thing. This is an utterly meaningless endeavor.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

While China bans access to Western social media it's hard not to see this as fair game.

[Region of Dwipantara]

Ironic that the Trump administration is so concerned about TikTok collecting personal data and information on Americans for the PRC yet most, if not all, major US tech companies and even the US government itself does the exact same thing. This is an utterly meaningless endeavor.

It's not from the perspective of the US as a state entity, though. Granted, the US government is composed of 20% people's voice, 40% corrupt establishment, and 40% deep state. However, data theft by a fully unnacountable, untouchable, and malicious state actor is a clear threat to US security, which is why I'm largely in favor of the ban. Or better yet, some form of "nationalization".

[Picairn]

Wonder how this ban will overlap with the First Amendment, although I can't say I'll miss Tiktok.

[Free Indian States]

Pro Gamer move.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Without access to the US market, TikTok will be cheaper for MS (or other US corp) to buy.
Access to the US market will then be restored. It could save the US fifteen or twenty billion.

The cost is that Trump loses traction to complain about China cheating in trade.

[Cokoland]

Good for him

[Region of Dwipantara]

Without access to the US market, TikTok will be cheaper for MS (or other US corp) to buy.
Access to the US market will then be restored. It could save the US fifteen or twenty billion.

The cost is that Trump loses traction to complain about China cheating in trade.

So the US government is secretly conspiring with Microsoft to bring down TikTok shares before buying it bulk? (Can't say Bill Gates as he has sold his Microsoft shares off, though it'll be funnier if it's Bill Gates who conspired with the state to acquire TikTok and thus increase his wealth).

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Without access to the US market, TikTok will be cheaper for MS (or other US corp) to buy.
Access to the US market will then be restored. It could save the US fifteen or twenty billion.

The cost is that Trump loses traction to complain about China cheating in trade.

So the US government is secretly conspiring with Microsoft to bring down TikTok shares before buying it bulk? (Can't say Bill Gates as he has sold his Microsoft shares off, though it'll be funnier if it's Bill Gates who conspired with the state to acquire TikTok and thus increase his wealth).

Microsoft are quite influential, due to so many people using their product over decades. Perhaps Trump thinks he can get them on his side with a saving that (on their scale) is paperclip money. I don't think that would work.

It might not be Microsoft after all. One corporation expressing an interest usually means several sniffing around more quietly.

[SatoSere]

YES! Trump now actually did the right thing!

[Nobel Hobos 2]

YES! Trump now actually did the right thing!

TikTok too grown-up for you?

[Sarderia]

Although perhaps both American and Chinese companies collect and store all of our personal credentials, to the point they can impersonate us, track us, etc. From my point of view, Trump is right in that this is a matter of national security. There are millions of TikTok users in the US, and who can say if TikTok shares their data with the Chinese government directly or not?

[SatoSere]

YES! Trump now actually did the right thing!

TikTok too grown-up for you?

> TikTok
> "too grownup"

Pick one.

[The Greater Ohio Valley]

Ironic that the Trump administration is so concerned about TikTok collecting personal data and information on Americans for the PRC yet most, if not all, major US tech companies and even the US government itself does the exact same thing. This is an utterly meaningless endeavor.

It's not from the perspective of the US as a state entity, though. Granted, the US government is composed of 20% people's voice, 40% corrupt establishment, and 40% deep state. However, data theft by a fully unnacountable, untouchable, and malicious state actor is a clear threat to US security, which is why I'm largely in favor of the ban. Or better yet, some form of "nationalization".

Kinda hard to nationalize something that isn’t primarily owned and based in the US.

[Nuroblav]

Banning apps from foreign countries? This sounds familiar...

Much as I hate the mainstream side of TikTok (Alt TikTok is apparently better, although I've yet to see much of it), this is a shitty move on Trump's behalf, especially given the First Amendment and the fact that many US tech companies do it a lot as well. Like you, I'm neither a TikTok user or in the US, so this doesn't really concern me as such.

[Trollzyn the Infinite]

Probably one of the only good things Trump has done.

Last thing we need is ChiCom spyware used to harass CCP critics in foreign countries. The PRC needs to be neutered.

[Grinning Dragon]

Don't have an issue with tic tac tok being banned, it's stupid.
However I see what's missing from the OP, the Navy and Army, the house of reps, senate,doj, and various other gov entities have banned the use and the downloading of the app to govt phones and in regards to the military have put out a directive that soldiers may not use the app.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Probably one of the only good things Trump has done.

Last thing we need is ChiCom spyware used to harass CCP critics in foreign countries. The PRC needs to be neutered.

There are a lot of CCP critics on TikTok ..?

[Twicetagram and JYPe]

We live in a society.

[-Astoria-]

YES! Trump now actually did the right thing!

Right things done during his term: 1

[CoraSpia]

While China bans access to Western social media it's hard not to see this as fair game.

Two wrongs don't make a right, I got told this when I was 5. Does it not apply in politics?

[Twicetagram and JYPe]

'It says all US user data is stored in the US, with a backup in Singapore.'
Singapore is the next America.

[Grinning Dragon]

'It says all US user data is stored in the US, with a backup in Singapore.'
Singapore is the next America.

Uh-huh, sure, that's the ticket. Up next for sale is a slightly used bridge in Brooklyn.

[Juristonia]

Even a broken clock, etc.

Considering it's basically a data collection program barely disguised as an app, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it disappearing.