Should TikTok be banned or forced to sell to an American company?
definitely yes
lean yes
maybe
lean no
definitely no
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Arguments in favor: TikTok is owned by a Chinese company and has access to significant data on Americans and can have significant influence on Americans using the algorithm (e.g. sinking Joe Biden if he tries to defend Taiwan)

Arguments against: If people want to use TikTok, they should have the right to do so, and the government shouldn't make that choice. If other companies want to compete, they should make a better algorithm.

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I think what bill does right now is perfect. We don't want them meddling in the affairs of the United States. And by "them" I mean the four specific countries that the bill attacks which are deemed as enemy states.

Is anyone here in favour of "forced to sell to an American company"? Genuinely curious if you think that TikTok would be more integrous or better off in the hands of a US company rather than a Chinese one, even given the track record of existing social media/content platforms in the US?

I don't mean to ask about privacy and data concerns about the ~170m (?) Americans who use TikTok (it's not a question of whether or not you feel 'safe' with the app being a Chinese-owned company) but more about the aspect of why a sale to the US would be the answer. I imagine a lot of Yes voters were thinking more about a ban than a forced sale but maybe not? I've read some articles but I'd rather learn from people.

(ik there's a discussion going in Discord but I'd rather not step into that)

we wouldn't have this problem if our tech sector wasn't hobbled by bad education and affirmative action and limits on high-skilled immigration

Change the law on data privacy. Don’t just target random companies cause you don’t like their ownership. It’s really not complicated.

I don't like the America First nature of the "Definitely Yes" supporters. I agree it should not be in the hands of any national adversary e.g. China, Russia, N. Korea but any decent friendly country/ally should be allowed to own it. In the same way I think US companies should be allowed to own media and tech businesses in the countries of other allies (among many other kinds of businesses).

I unironically think the entire internet should be banned, so any little bit helps.

I wasn't sure before, but this has convinced me we should doe it For Science™