The movement to ban the application of Chinese origin TikTok – especially popular in the United States and which is gradually gaining Europe – is based on two accusations. First, that of being a danger to children. A kind of “Fentanyl”, a devastating opioid, but in a digital version. And, above all, an overpowered spy tool. The “Trojan horse” of the Communist Party. Two accusations, which, in essence, consist in a hypocritical way of finding out what a social network is in the 21st century.
Because, basically, TikTok did not invent anything. His often humorous short video patches are indeed inspired by the ex-nugget Vine. Its face or voice filters that make it successful are nothing innovative compared to those of Snapchat launched long before it. Its recommendation algorithms – at the origin of the extreme engagement it generates – are envied by Meta (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) which was the first to popularize tools of this type. Its collection of data – geolocation, e-mail address, telephone number, among others – is no more important than its competitors, have already affirmed several independent studies. It serves, moreover, the same objectives: to earn as much money as possible with targeted advertising (which it does very well).
She has, however, never insisted like Facebook that we give her our political, musical or sexual preferences. Nor has she been implicated in any major data hijacking scandal such as the Cambridge Analytica affair or influencing any election across the globe. These drifts may happen. A consultation of personal data of journalists on TikTok – a reprehensible act – has been proven.
fool’s game
The movement to ban TikTok, however, sometimes forgets to remember the essential: TikTok is only one element within a much larger technological confrontation between the United States and China. The new American measures reducing China’s access to the most sophisticated semiconductors have recently reminded us of this.
On the side of China, the fool’s game is just as appalling. Beijing cries out for abuse of power, censorship. A shame for a country that does not allow any large foreign social network to thrive within its borders. Even TikTok, called Douyin on the spot, is forced to broadcast on the spot content very different from what it offers internationally. Beijing’s defense is therefore cynical at will.