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pknerd | on: TikTok goes dark in the US
From CBSNews:

> U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that TikTok threatens national security because the Chinese government could use it as a vehicle to spy on Americans or covertly influence the U.S. public by amplifying or suppressing certain content.

In other words, US officials are scared that China is going to do what the USA has been doing with American social media apps in various countries

junto | parent | next
This ^^

And if the U.S. does ban TikTok then it sets a precedent that other countries can ban U.S. and Chinese social media apps in the same manner. Europe for example.

x3n0ph3n3 | root | parent | next
China _already_ bans U.S. social media.
pknerd | root | parent
For the same reasons US is doing now ;)
TMWNN | root | parent | next
That precedent has always existed. The US banning TikTok changed nothing from a legal standpoint.
Omatic810 | root | parent
What stopped other countries from doing just that before?
genocidicbunny | parent
> In other words, US officials are scared that China is going to do what the USA has been doing with American social media apps in various countries

Yes, and? It's naive to think that this is anything new or surprising -- a country attempting to further it's own interests ahead of other countries that it is competing with.

pknerd | root | parent
> Yes, and?

Americans usually whined and complained that China banned US social media

genocidicbunny | root | parent | next
I'm pretty sure most Americans didn't really care, outside of some bubbles like HN.
mint2 | root | parent | next
lol no, as an American it’s always made me think that they weren’t utterly incompetent over there. With how it looks like TikTok might be reinstate here, it’s unclear I can say the same about us.

Also, American social media companies and all others need far more regulation. But that is really a separate topic.

If russia were to try to buy meta, that deal should be blocked. If china were to try to buy meta that deal should be blocked.

phatfish | root | parent
Only because it effected the share price.