-Analysis-
PARIS — Consensus is a rare sight in the United States these days. So when the House of Representatives passes a bill — what’s more, in a bipartisan 352-65 vote! — you know it can only be about one thing: China.
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Such was indeed the case on Wednesday, with the adoption of a resolution demanding that ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of the hugely popular social network TikTok, sell its American subsidiary. If the bill is adopted in the Senate, President Joe Biden has already signaled that he would sign it.
While the United States and China are at odds on matters such as the South China Sea, Taiwan, or regarding access to technology, TikTok represents a new, strange battlefield. But considering it is the first time a China-owned platform has achieved such global fame, especially in the U.S. where it boasts 170 million users, it was bound to ruffle a few feathers.
Six-month countdown
Americans believe TikTok poses a security risk: first, because of the possibility that the personal data of tens of millions of users could be transferred to Beijing; second, because the social network and its powerful algorithm could be used for disinformation or manipulation purposes, in favor of Chinese interests. However, there is no tangible evidence to support this, which is obviously a problem. Beijing has denied these accusations, but if yesterday’s overwhelming vote has shown anything, it’s that it makes very little difference.
It’s a death sentence for TikTok in the United States.
Initially, TikTok invested billion to be able to store its users’ data in the United States, and not in China as was the case previously. Same thing in Europe, at the request of the European Commission.
But it wasn’t enough to quell anti-TikTok campaigners, culminating in this bipartisan resolution in the U.S. which today is the most serious threat against the platform. Once the law is enacted, ByteDance will have six months to find a buyer for its American network — maybe even for its entire operation beyond China.
Should ByteDance fail to do so, or if Beijing refuses to sell, the application will have to be removed from app stores, or else face prohibitive fines. As an industry expert put it: “It’s a death sentence for TikTok in the United States.”
Trump’s reaction, European ripples
All of this does nothing to alleviate tensions between China and the United States. Beijing, raising its voice, lambasted “American hegemony” — par for the course. But there was a more surprising reaction to the whole affair: Donald Trump’s.
The former president had unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok during his term. But in a sudden change of heart, he now opposes the ban. The reason for this is simple: One of the major financial contributors to his campaign — and Trump needs a lot of money — is billionaire Jeff Yass, who owns 15% of ByteDance’s capital, which amounts to about billion. Enough to “flip” Donald Trump, much to the dismay of his followers in Congress.
If the United States bans TikTok, what will Europe do?
Of course, the nationality of TikTok’s parent company is the main point of contention here. But TikTok poses other problems, be it the power of its algorithm, how addictive it is for young people, and how likely it is to be misused for disinformation purposes.
If the United States bans TikTok, what will Europe do? It’s already a loaded question — and it’s about to get a whole lot worse, as the shockwaves of the American vote reach us.
