Do We Need to Fear TikTok? More Than Any Other Social Media Platform?
Should we be afraid of Tik Tok? Has it become one of those old, awful, but now cult-favorite horror flicks? Imagine:
On March 24, 2023, at a US House Appropriations Committee Hearing, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the assembled audience that the regulators accountable for screening foreign investment deals for national security risks had seen a rise in such cases. However, she declined to give details.
Yellen made it clear that those kinds of deals would not be approved.
Further, she said the Treasury had requested more funding to protect itself—especially given its role in imposing sanctions. A little too ironic….no?
The day before, on March 23, a marathon hearing on TikTok was held on Capital Hill in Washington, DC. (Sorry non-US readers. This is where it's happening; nevertheless, the issue touches us all.) The hearing was unique because it was a rare (and getting even rarer) example of Republicans and Democrats agreeing in public.?
What drove this display of unity was their conviction about the dangers of TikTok in terms of Chinese Governmental influence and the safety of children. The lone standout, BTW, was Representative Jamaal Bowman, who accused his Democratic colleagues of Xenophobia and was concerned with hurting the 150 million Americans who use the APP every month. He then broke into a TikTok challenge, tried to sell some branded merchandise, and...on the not made up by me side (seriously, you can't make this stuff up) advised that younger voters would punish Democrats by not voting for them unless they supported keeping TikTok as is.
What is a politician to do? What are we to do?
Despite his best efforts, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew failed to convince anyone that the APP is not a threat, and momentum seems to have picked up to demand a change in ownership, or a ban, or something…
Here are some thoughts to ponder and questions to ask:
Finally, several years ago, I learned a lesson as I went into a secure facility (I won't divulge where). I was required to give up my phone, which was then put in a secure, safe, signal-impenetrable box. At the time, this wasn't "normal;" today, it's fairly standard. You know me well enough by now to know I had to ask why.?
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I was told that even with the phone off, someone could hack in and listen to the entire meeting. W-O-W. I said, "That's crazy. Do you really think so?" The response..."Of course. We are doing it to them, so we have to assume they are doing it to us."
See where I'm going?
For years, I have been writing that social media is out of control and needs to be reined in. I have soap-boxed about the lack of security and data integrity, meaning nothing is safe. I have opined about the difference between privacy and security. One is Think Before You Share, and it's your problem if you don't. The other is a danger, sometimes a serious danger to you, your family, your business, your country, and ultimately, the world.?
To limit the damage to itself (and maybe sway a few folks), TikTok has been touting the time limit measures it has put in place to limit screen time by kids under 18.??
In summary, it's not an actual limiter; it's more of a suggestion to limit (shades of Captain Sparrow). Kids ignore it altogether by just saying they are 21 (in the digital world, no one knows you are a dog) and blowing right by. But most troubling to me (read this carefully) is that in China, there are some real tools and levers to lock kids under 14 out and don't allow them to use it overnight—not under 18 like in the US, and not suggestions, but hard stops. Xenophobia??
Hot off the Harris Poll Press. Here are a few numbers to ponder as you formulate your comments:
I find it fascinating that a majority of voters see China as a danger but don't see TikTok in that light.
Dear readers, here's the bottom line: BE afraid—of Meta, Twitter, Amazon, and TikTok, too. BE afraid for your children whose brains are being eaten alive. I forgot that title in my bad horror flick re-cap. That's not just me speaking. Listen to the growing chorus of kids begging for help.?
As for being afraid of China? Specifically? I don't know—maybe if they issue a TikTok nuclear challenge?
Make no mistake: It's dangerous. But most of their data is useless. Sorry, algorithm folks—you'll never get me to buy those whale pants.
What do you think? Should we be afraid of TikTok? More afraid of them than META, with their gargantuan data hack of the past and questionable practices still? Or any of the others?
Chief Executive Officer at Drive By Agony/Stop the Violence
1 年Well said thank you for your insight.
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2 年If TikTok is banned in the US, it may have an impact on the exposure and reach of new and upcoming artists who rely on the platform to showcase their work and build a following. However, there are other social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook that can still provide a platform for artists to share their content and engage with their audience. Additionally, there are emerging social media platforms that may fill the gap left by TikTok. It's also possible that an acquisition of TikTok or a resolution to the current situation could occur, allowing the platform to continue operating in the US. Ultimately, while the loss of TikTok would be a significant change for the social media landscape, artists will continue to find ways to connect with their audience and share their work
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2 年I think TikTok is just as bad as any other but not worse. I watched some of it all last week and yes while kids can go down a rabbit hole on that platform, they can on any other. So we as parents should monitor David Sable It’s all very sad. The whole state of union.
The horses have left the barn a long time ago. While we were huddled away during the pandemic, the masters of social media and AI were hard at work. That may have been the last chance, to appoint a neutral world regulatory body. On the other side of this TikTok challenge, is probably something else and I personally don't think its all about China. Strange isn't it, that they want to restrict only those under the voting age?
Jinxing myself, but do u mean 422million breaches? Last I looked not 422 people in the US? And if people aren’t around teens/college/young professionals, reach out. There are a lot of positives and from marketing perspective, kids are responsive to TT ads. And we leave out gaming platforms, but they a wealth of data, any streaming service.