avatarJessey Anthony

Summary

The article discusses concerns over the potential monopolization of the social media industry following the proposed TikTok ban in the United States, questioning the government's motives and the implications for free speech and market competition.

Abstract

The TikTok ban saga, initiated under the Trump administration and continued by the Biden administration, raises concerns about the creation of a monopoly in the social networking space, with the US government citing national security risks due to alleged data siphoning by TikTok. The article suggests that the ban could be a power play to assert control over the technology industry and may be influenced by political pressure, particularly from Republican entities. It also highlights the lack of concrete evidence supporting the allegations against TikTok and contrasts this with the lack of similar actions against other platforms like Facebook and Twitter, despite their own security and societal issues. The potential acquisition of TikTok by American companies like Meta (formerly Facebook) or Microsoft is seen as a threat to a diverse social media landscape, with concerns about the control of free speech and the economy by a single entity.

Opinions

  • The US government's push for a TikTok ban may be more about asserting control over the technology industry and less about actual national security concerns.
  • There is a perception that the ban is a strategic move to eliminate competition and allow US-based companies, particularly those with political connections, to dominate the social media market.
  • The article implies that the US government is acting on speculations rather than solid evidence when it comes to TikTok's alleged misuse of data.
  • There is a double standard in the treatment of TikTok compared to other social platforms that have been involved in serious security breaches and societal issues without facing the threat of a ban.
  • The potential takeover of TikTok by US companies like Meta or Microsoft could lead to a monopoly in the social media industry, threatening diversity and free speech.
  • The article suggests that Mark Zuckerberg's history of acquiring competitive social platforms is part of a broader strategy to maintain his dominance in the tech sector.
  • The author expresses concern that the ban could be part of a larger effort to suppress platforms that challenge the status quo, potentially impacting the lives and freedoms of American citizens.

TikTok Ban: Why We Should Be Concerned

The inevitable sinking ship will destroy us in its wake.

Photo by Josh Rose on Unsplash

By now we should already be familiar with monopolies in the United States. Companies that create monopolies dominate the industry and make it impossible for their competition to succeed.

For more than eight decades, Andrew Andrew Carnegie’s Steel Co. has dominated the steel industry in the United States. Sirius XM Holdings dominates satellite radio to date, while Waste Management has been leading the recycling and hauling business, to mention but a few.

Now it looks like the social networking business is going to be monopolized too. There is a power shift on who will become the new leader in the technology industry with the recent ban move on TikTok. The internet has been flooded with videos against the TikTok ban by President Biden.

This TikTok ban saga started in 2020 during Trump’s administration. The United States government claims that TikTok is being used to siphon government records which is a bridge to National security. And ultimately the best solution to protect the US government, its policies, and its citizens is to ban the popular social platform.

First, the US government banned its policymakers from using TikTok. Then some states followed the ban. And now FG wants all Americans to stop using the platform.

I understand the government wants to protect us, however, there is no evidence to back up claims about these allegations against TikTok.

All we hear are speculations but there is one thing that’s pretty clear about the TikTok saga, and that is a group of US government officials wants to show they have control over the United States and they can shut down any business that does not support their fascist vision.

Tell me, if TikTok was so damaging to public security, why did Trump threaten Shou Zi Chewn to sell TikTok to a US-based business in 2020?

TikTok may be owned by a Chinese private company, however, the majority of its decision-makers are Americans. Reports have it that Trump’s plot to ban TikTok was a staged attempt to force TikTok to surrender its control to his loyalists. He succeeded. Now it appears the recent ban plot is a complete takeover of the platform.

Shou Zi Chewn has called on the United States government to inspect their operations to dispute these claims. Maybe that will calm US paranoia. China could shape the future of technology and the United States is worried about the impact it that will have on the economy.

What’s more disappointing is that Facebook and Twitter have done worse to jeopardy US security but no one has tried to ban them. In 2016, the presidential election was rigged by an external body, we have the proof, yet today, Facebook is still waxing strong.

Extremists use Facebook and Instagram as breeding grounds for terrorists yet no one is talking about banning them. The same lives the US government wants to protect are being killed, sexualized, and marginalized every single day by the same people that want TitTok down and they think we don’t know what is happening.

Meta is threatened by any social platform that tries to take over its position as the giant of social media. We are no strangers to Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious acquisition. In his quest to remain the leader of technology, he buys off any social platform that threatens his reign.

He did it with WhatsApp. He did it with Oculus VR. He attempted to buy Snapchat in 2013 and failed, but ended up with a majority of their shares.

It’s no secret that Zuckerberg is interested in acquiring TikTok, however, he’s not alone. Microsoft wants to buy TikTok too. If Microsoft acquires TikTok, it will beat Facebook and YouTube as the most used social network in the United States.

TikTok is accused of doing what Facebook/Meta does to its users and the purpose is to improve ad targeting. If the government says otherwise then they should provide concrete evidence and not mere speculations.

If TikTok is toxic, then Facebook and Instagram triples their number. Meta’s platforms are manipulated by foreign adversaries, they make teens feel awful about themselves, allow their users to be targeted by anyone willing to pay, and have been proven to be used by white supremacists, genocidal regimes, sexual harassment, and more.

TikTok isn’t safer than any other platform, we know that. But the fact remains that someone wants TikTok under their control or they will shut it down.

We know President Biden has been under pressure from the Republican, and the move to ban TikTok seem to be masterminded by the same group and he has a weak stand on the position.

However, having one person control top social media platforms should be our major concern. Because if they can control free speech then they can control everything else, including whether we live or die.

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Policy
Social Media
Tiktok App
Justice
Social Justice
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