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Why America Is Afraid of TikTok
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Why America Is Afraid of TikTok

The company’s founder says in an interview that he wants it to be “a window” on the world. A Republican senator says it is a “Trojan horse.”

MIchael Schuman
The Atlantic, 2020
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Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Overview
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

A Generation Z video app that showcases fun, self-made videos could trigger a reckoning regarding the United States’ goals and ideals. TikTok’s founder and its application are under fire because the company – not the app itself – operates from China. TikTok foreshadows what China seeks (world technical leadership) and what the United States dreads (loss of technical supremacy). Michael Schuman details in The Atlantic how the superpowers’ tussle over TikTok will reverberate for both nations.

Take-Aways

  • A few years ago, United States’ investors would have celebrated TikTok. Now, China is more a “strategic enemy” than a possible partner.
  • A welcoming attitude toward Chinese business leaders changed with President Donald Trump’s vilification of China.
  • Chinese laws regarding sharing data are deliberately murky.

About the Author

Michael Schuman is the author of two books on Asia, Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of the World and The Miracle: The Epic Story of Asia’s Quest for Wealth.

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