The ideal scenario isn't the government forcing a sale of TikTok for political reasons. The ideal is that people stop using TikTok because they realize it's not good for them, but I guess I don't see that happening. Instead we'll just continue scrolling while wondering why we're so unhappy and angry all the time.
I had heard that the existing TikTok app will shut down in the U.S, with the investment consortium launching a new TikTok US app and re-training the algorithm on U.S. users only. If this is true, it might have the same effect: speedbumps where users have to download a new app and lose all their personalization often lead to massive drops in userbase, as they figure that if they have to start from scratch anyway, they might as well start from scratch doing something else.
Fill in the blank with whatever you find personally disagreeable: TikTok, alcohol, sports gambling, hallucinogens, video games, cigars, sugary foods, etc.
what do you think people will do, get off tiktok and go outside to hike? if anything they will just switch to instagram reels there's no good scenario here.
IMO the ideal is incredibly strong data privacy laws such that it does not matter if consumer products are owned by a rich guy in Mountain View or Abu Dhabi.
The biggest benefactor here is Meta. There's no way TikTok will remain a dominant social platform in the US amidst all the political meddling and so many high profile investors with competing interests.
This is likely also why Meta announced that they are overhauling Instagram to make Reels and recommendations the default experience - https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/instagram-overhaul-app-num.... Just as with Threads, they saw an opening and are doubling down hard.
Well, TikTok is and will still be the dominant force in that area, and I don't think Instagram will win this time. For photos? Instagram is still the king of the hill. For video consumption? TikTok is the king.
You won't believe this next part. We actually did make vaccines for several diseases that were as close to 100% safe as real world possible, and people were voluntarily rejecting it.
Even dictators in other countries don't make it so obvious because they're worried their populations would revolt, which says a lot about the American voter today.
None of Tiktok's executives were present, and China has not confirmed the sale. So, I don't think clown's EO means anything. He's living in his own la la land :-)
Before people jump to conclusions, if you look at the details there seems to be a plan for a major profit sharing and licensing agreement with Bytedance. The numbers floated around are that 50% of the profit would go to Bytedance plus.
This would significantly impact its valuation to outside investors.
IIRC previous talk for TikTok US valuations / buyout was ~40B. But Tiktok was at ~20% Bytedance / PRC ownership before and after. US ownership to boost from 60-80%. So not really sure who this is boning more.
It's all a grift. The cynic in me says that if you looked close enough, you'd find some large deposits into Trump coin or World Liberty Finacial shortly before this announcement.
It is so outrageous to value Tiktok USA at $14 billion.
Forget Meta's market cap, does anyone think Zuckerberg wouldn't have paid 20 billion for Tiktok USA ?
Just so corrupt and to even call it a sweetheart deal is outrageous.
I thought it should just be banned in the US. The idea we are basically strong arming a whole nation and stealing a company at a bullshit valuation is completely insane.
The problem with operating this way is it's very easy for the same gun to be used against you when political winds inevitably change. In Bangalore famously, one administration's politicians had bought up all farmland and then announced the new airport location in that area. When they lost the election, the next administration moved the airport after the project had already started to a different inferior location dozens of kilometers away where it stands today mainly to impose losses on their political opponents. This is also why connectivity to the airport is poor to this day.
"Sell to our preferred investors for pennies on the dollar or lose access to the most lucrative market in the world". It's not like TikTok had a choice.
If Larry Ellison overtly censors TikTok, teenagers will leave.
Do I understand that the strategy here is soft power so that teenagers get approved content via the algorithm in the hope that they don't notice? That is a pretty big gamble.
So they are dumping part of that risk on the gulf monarchies like with Twitter. I bet China is already working on a TikTok replacement.
Readit News
Fill in the blank with whatever you find personally disagreeable: TikTok, alcohol, sports gambling, hallucinogens, video games, cigars, sugary foods, etc.
Scrolling HN I find hateful stances about hyperspecificties, overconfident self righteousness, and new peaks of misanthropism
This is likely also why Meta announced that they are overhauling Instagram to make Reels and recommendations the default experience - https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/instagram-overhaul-app-num.... Just as with Threads, they saw an opening and are doubling down hard.
This is a straight up giveaway to friends.
Even dictators in other countries don't make it so obvious because they're worried their populations would revolt, which says a lot about the American voter today.
None of Tiktok's executives were present, and China has not confirmed the sale. So, I don't think clown's EO means anything. He's living in his own la la land :-)
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This would significantly impact its valuation to outside investors.
So they value the most attention owing social media at a mere $14b? As reference: Meta has a total market cap of around $1.8 T.
Forget Meta's market cap, does anyone think Zuckerberg wouldn't have paid 20 billion for Tiktok USA ?
Just so corrupt and to even call it a sweetheart deal is outrageous.
I thought it should just be banned in the US. The idea we are basically strong arming a whole nation and stealing a company at a bullshit valuation is completely insane.
Deleted Comment
Do I understand that the strategy here is soft power so that teenagers get approved content via the algorithm in the hope that they don't notice? That is a pretty big gamble.
So they are dumping part of that risk on the gulf monarchies like with Twitter. I bet China is already working on a TikTok replacement.
Run it into the ground!