Digital Regulation: From TikTok to Texting

We’ve all heard the most recent TikTok drama, the push to ban its use in the US. We won’t comment either way, but it brings up the very controversial topic of digital regulation.

We’re seeing it more and more, questioning safety and security. Does it violate the right to free speech? Does it harm more than it helps??

TikTok is being questioned due to software and database ownership, should it raise concerns about national security? Can we trust anyone with our data? The government is raising its voice on the topic…or trying to. But is banning the software the right thing to do? Is it something the government should have control over?

Business texting is experiencing the drama of regulations, as well. The US mobile carriers decided to set up their regulation authority, and it worked, they got a good portion of businesses to sign up with their registry, or else they wouldn’t deliver 10dlc (10-digit long code) A2P (application to person) business text messages. We all handed over our data and the content of our messages that would be sent from each specific phone number. It passed through a company-run registry that the US carriers deemed their official reputation authority. If approved, it is then vetted again by the carriers, all before messages can be sent.

Is this ok?

Like TikTok, the registry is managed by a foreign entity. Is it a national security risk? Do our messages give away top-secret information? Should the carriers be the ones deciding who can see our messages??

The carriers’ regulation backstory starts with the service option of texting only being P2P (person to person); a few messages sent here and there from your cell phone to your mom. The network of carriers could handle that.?

It’s now used for business texting with a constant stream of 2FA codes, appointment reminders, sale announcements, work crew updates, committee bulletins, etc., but along with all the good, comes the spam. So, the carriers decided, enough’s enough. So, regulations got put in place to tame the spam and allow legitimate messages to get through.

With that said, we’re back to, who decides what’s legit and what’s not? Should the government step in so there’s consistency amongst the carriers for things like cost and requirements? Is it your right to know who’s sending messages to your phone??

TikTok is used for more than just videos of your drunk friend falling off the table she was dancing on, it’s used by businesses as a part of the marketing strategy, they know the demographic and it’s very effective. This ban is affecting more than just you and your brother who enjoy the endless scroll. The regulations on business texting affect companies of all sizes also. The registration steps incur time and money just to keep up with the list of requirements, let alone the income that could have been generated by texts that get blocked if you miss one step.

Some say their freedom of speech is being violated, but where’s the accountability? Don’t you want to know who posted the comment about your kid being ugly, and shouldn’t that person have the guts to take credit? So, the idea of the regulations is commendable, but where’s the consistency, who’s determining legitimacy? Is this the right time for the government to be involved??