The path to TikTok not existing in the US is basically nonexistent
It’s court challenges after court challenges, and then an asset sale, and then…. The same service until it’s new stewards mess it up with changes years later.
It only goes away if the asset sale doesn’t occur.
And either way it’s just a protectionist bill towards US enterprises. Or meeting parity with China who didn’t let US social media enterprises operate in China, not even this ignorance weaponized version of TikTok.
China did not pass a law and force a US company out retroactively. Tiktok complies with all existing US laws, including the law that requires US companies to provide data to the government when there is a warrant. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CLOUD_Act
b) doesn't explain why TikTok for the rest of the world is also not the same product run in China
Blocking a sale feels different from forcing a sale, even if the outcome in either case is the search for a new buyer.
I’m pretty uncomfortable with the current clown car of FISA courts, secret Congressional hearings, secret bills, secret warrants, no-knock warrants, secret no fly lists, data brokers selling to cops, data brokers selling to the military, not to mention the evolution of police into a paramilitary group enabling things like weaponized SWATing for under $100. For a lot of these things, if you didn’t know we were talking about America, you would think of they only happened in totalitarian states.
> I’m pretty uncomfortable with the current clown car of FISA courts, secret Congressional hearings, secret bills, secret warrants, no-knock warrants, secret no fly lists, data brokers selling to cops, data brokers selling to the military, not to mention the evolution of police into a paramilitary group enabling things like weaponized SWATing for under $100. For a lot of these things, if you didn’t know we were talking about America, you would think of they only happened in totalitarian states.
I agree wholeheartedly, but I don’t see how this is related to forcing the sale of TikTok.
In that case, why bother publishing the text of bills online for people to read before they’re laws? Why preserve Congressional debate in the Library of Congress? Why make Congressional debate public at all?
If we let them, the government will classify everything as “national security”. Today, it’s domestic surveillance programs (some of which were illegal). Tomorrow, it’s economic numbers or police statistics.
I agree that as much as possible of the TikTok briefings should be declassified, and am extremely skeptical of giving governments additional powers, but "national security" really is a sufficient justification in this case. There is no way we should allow a hostile foreign government access to such a massive amount of data on Americans or the ability to easily spread their propaganda.
