The Secret Push That Could Ban TikTok

American lawmakers have tried for years to ban TikTok, concerned that the video app’s links to China pose a national security risk.
Sapna Maheshwari, a technology reporter for The Times, explains the behind-the-scenes push to rein in TikTok and discusses what a ban could mean for the app’s 170 million users in the United States.
Guest: Sapna Maheshwari (www.nytimes.com/by/sapna-mahe...) , who covers TikTok, technology and emerging media companies for The New York Times.
Background reading:
• A tiny group of lawmakers huddled in private (www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/te...) about a year ago, aiming to bulletproof a bill that could ban TikTok.
• The TikTok law faces court challenges, a shortage of qualified buyers and Beijing’s hostility (www.nytimes.com/2024/04/23/te...) .
• Love, hate or fear it, TikTok has changed America (www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...) .
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily (nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-t...) . Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

[@MikiCab1]

I want only want to be influenced by American companies like Google , Meta, Amazon who only have their best interests at heart.

[@charleselmore4707]

It’s amusing to me that Tik-Tokkers are increasingly incredulous in response to the ban, like, “You can’t ban an app!”
You’d be amazed at what a government can ban if it really wants to.

[@debbietkach6773]

😊

[@debbietkach6773]

😊😊

[@debbietkach6773]

😊😊

[@nextinstitute7824]

Expand please. This is intriguing.

[@charleselmore4707]

@@nextinstitute7824 Well, I think in terms of government bans in the extreme, certainly all one has to do is look at China’s government and some of their more infamous ones. (Posting a digital image of Winnie the Pooh is outlawed there, for instance.) My point is that governments can and often do ban all sorts of things, including dissent, so it’s not unheard of that they can ban apps as well. Of course, there are things citizens can do to counteract these bans.

[@casperabysstract1106]

Americans need to get over their fixation on social media.

[@Rigo-ce9kx]

No see 18:56 18:56 18:58

[@MikiCab1]

TikTok did exactly what lawmakers were scared of

[@derrickwar]

This production feels like state sponsored propaganda.

[@nextinstitute7824]

I've lived in Asia for a long time, now spending more time in Africa. I see a very targeted large-scale fanning of anti-Western sentiments that clearly points to China (and Russia, for that matter). We really need to be more aware of it. That's the task of the state, security in the face of hostile attacks. Be glad that the state is finally protecting you.

[@sell-buy-design]

don't be a tool. @@nextinstitute7824

[@sell-buy-design]

That's because it is.

[@derrickwar]

The state protecting me in the interest of capital and continued imperialism feels closer to oppression..

[@nextinstitute7824]

@@derrickwar I'm glad I'm not American because if you can't trust your government to protect you in the unstable times to come, it must indeed feel very uncertain. You guys really need to change your political system. It's too corrupt.

[@christinagreenberg5612]

Please do better journalism. Please look into Israel's influence on all the US owned social media companies. Please look into the ADL's leaked call saying that this was it was their top priority to ban tiktok because it is opening the young people's eyes to what is really happening in Gaza. So it sounds like you're okay with Israel's influence but no other foreign government?