A U.S. court has made it seem final–China’s ByteDance has to sell TikTok, which reaches 170 million Americans, or shut it down. I predict a smooth sale will be impossible.
Here’s why–what makes TikTok so addictive and so powerful are the algorithms and computing power that support it. TikTok can see all a user’s contacts, all the other apps on the phone, and even the facial expression of the user. (It quietly announced that it was going to start using biometic data–which means it can use highly developed facial recognition technology to know exactly how a user reacts to something. Of course, it knows how long a user reads something or listens to something. So it knows exactly how to give a user what the user has demonstrated interest in or passion for.
The Chinese government does not want TikTok’s technology to get out of China’s hands because it is such a powerful tool for espionage and influence. It does not want the American government to understand just how sophisticated and advanced Chinese capabilities have become.
So what actually is for sale? I’ve heard the American companies wishing to buy TikTok say they want the customer list of 170 million names. But if they don’t have the secret sauce, how will they please those users? The perceived quality of the TikTok experience will deteriorate. If they have to change out the servers and computers that run TikTok, won’t that cause a major disruption? Many people have created content or launched businesses on TikTok. Will all that get wiped out? Who will have control of their data? It’s going to be fascinating to watch. (For the record, I have never used TikTok because I don’t trust it.)
