《连线》总编辑：封杀TikTok动摇美国民主制度根基

81èWiredèNicholas Thompson¨è°è§é¤¤¨TikTokè¨èè

731è°¤¤°TikTok¨è°è°°±èèé°¨¤é°è¨èè±è±

TikTok¨è°¨èèè°¨èèè°¤é¨èè°±¤éTikTokèè·¨è°èèèè

è¨è¤èéTikTok·èè°éè°

TikTok°°¨éè¨è§·¤¨è¤¤¨¨è§è°èTikTok±¨è

è·¨è¨TikTok¨èFacebookFacebookèéè°TikTok°èèèéè

¨729éFacebookAmazonèè°·èééè§Facebook°¨¨¨é°§°°è§InstagramInstagram§Kevin Systrom¨èMatt Cohlerè¨èFacebookèè·éMatt Cohlerè

InstagramWhatsappéèFacebookSnapchatèèèFacebookè褤§èè§é¤TikTokFacebook¨°Facebookè°°èéTikToké·

FacebookèèTikTokTikTokInstagramReels°TikTokè¨ééè·°é

è¨11±èé¤éè°èèéè°èè¤é觧èè騰訤éèè褧¤¤è·¨°¨¨é¤éè§è°¨

èé°¤èéèè¨è豧¨èFacebook¨è¨èè±è°¤¤¤¤°±TikTokéèè·TikTok豨èèèè°

è訰éèè°¤è°é·èè¨èèèè°°

¨è°TikTok¨é¨¨éè°¨¨éèèé¨è§é±¤è¤TikTokèè褨°è¨éééè訰¤§VèéèTikTok§

èèè豤§¨èè·±°è¨èè±é¤·

---

è±

The Rank Hypocrisy of a TikTok Ban

ON FRIDAY THEpresident of the United Statesdeclaredthat he intends to ban a vibrant source of American speech. And that he intends to eliminate competition in a giant industry that doesnt have nearly enough of it. Its a rare feat to upturn two such fundamental democratic valuesfree speech and free marketsat the same time.

TikToks fate in the US remains uncertain. Trumps declarations could be part of a negotiating strategy, with the intended goal of getting Bytedance, TikToks Chinese parent company, removed entirely from the platforms ownership. Microsoftmay then swoop in. Trumps proposed executive order could face legal review, and TikTok hasvowedthat its not planning on going anywhere. But regardless of how this all shakes out, the presidents declaration stinks of hypocrisy.

and that itshacking and espionage operationshave deep and malevolent roots. And smart people have raised valid concerns about TikToks security. (Any company thatcopies what you put on your clipboardis one that deserves very little trust.)

But thats a reason to ban the app on the phones ofAmerican soldiersand diplomats, and its reason to warn others about the risks. Its an argument, too, that US data privacy laws are woefully inadequate toprotect people from data over-reach by any app, regardless of the country of origin. But the public evidence that TikTok is a fundamental and unique threat to US securityis simply not there.

TikTok, however, is a threat to Facebook. Its a legitimate competitor that has been able to thrive without being captured or killed. During theantitrust hearingson Wednesday, one of Congresss central critiques was that Facebook uses all thesecret information it gatherstosniff out its nascent opposition. Will [Zuckerberg] go into destroy mode if I say no? Instagram founder Kevin Systrom asked one of his board members, Matt Cohler, while discussing a potential Facebook acquisition of his company. Probably, came the reply,according to a memo released during the hearings.

Instagram and Whatsapp were gobbled by Facebook, and Snapchat was hobbled. But TikTok has survived Facebooks destroy mode. The US company didnt recognize its growth andmisunderstoodits genius. By the time Facebookfirst trieddesperately to copy andcloneit, it was too late. But now, with Trumps aggressive stance, Facebook has been given a gift from above. Its new TikTok twin, Instagrams Reels, launches soon. Without TikTok, the road to its success would be more open and clear.

There has been a certain amount ofconspiratorial talkabout Trump and Zuckerberg since the two had dinner last November: theorizing perhaps that they reached some sort of tacit agreement that Zuckerberg would allow Trump to use the platform as he saw fit, and Trump would help Zuckerberg in other ways? Ive always doubted that there was anything explicit. But powerful diplomacydoesnt work that way. It happens through subtle signals, winks, and nods. And I doubt that Zuckerbergs kindness toward the White House didnt weigh somewhat in Trumps mind.

But this of course just lays bare the hypocrisy in Trumps move. Its a move against free speech, and to the extent that Facebook has been gentle on the president, its because of Zuckerbergs defense of that fundamental right. And if one is an avid believer in free speech, how can one even threaten the death penalty for a social media platforrm? TikTok is full of garbage and sometimes hate. But its free and open,even in waysthat other platforms arent. Conservative critics who rail about Twitters lack of respect for the First Amendment are often justworking the refs. But many are sincere. I am eager to see how they react to todays news. (The White House did not respond to my request for comment.)

What are Trumps true motives? Surely there is an element oflegitimate concernabout national security and espionage. And surely there is some concern about politics: Being tough on China is an issue where hecan score pointsagainst Joe Biden. It also cant hurt that TikTok stars are accused of (or credited with) sandbagging his rally in Tulsa, and that some of the biggest names on the platform have made their names through hystericalmockeryof him.

For the past several years, Ive warned thatthe biggest threat to the internetis the technological cold war between the reasonably open, free internet of the West and the closed authoritarian internet of the East. Now, with the presidents repudiation of free speech and open markets, I worry that there isnt much difference between the two sides after all.

END

¨

DoNewséIT¤¨éIT±°éèèè¨ééè訨