Does TikTok promote Chinese governement propaganda? Yes.
Does the TikTok app contain Chinese government spyware? Almost certainly.
I don't recommend that anyone that has security clearances install TikTok on their phone.
But we have much more to fear from our own government than we do the Chinese government.
It was our own government that waged a massive propaganda campaign during Covid.
It was our government officials who systematically lied about masking, vaccine efficacy, Hunter's laptop, Russian influence, etc.
It was our government who strong-armed social media firms to censor, shadow-ban, and deplatform anyone who disagreed with the government's narrative.
Remember that both Republicans and Democrats have threatened to arrest the executives/employees of US media firms:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/30/elon-musk-wealth-power
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/10/trump-journalist-media-press-freedom
Unlike the owners of many US media firms, TikTok's owners aren't also US government contractors who stand to lose billions if they don't toe the government's line. TikTok's executives don't have fear debanking, anti-trust prosecution, or arrest if they don't obey US government officials.
While TikTok definitely serves Chinese propaganda, they have little incentive to serve _US_ propaganda.
As a result, if they have access to TikTok, US citizens can get access to stories that might have otherwise been self-censored or suppressed by the US government.
Which is the real reason the USG want to block TikTok in the US.
Does the TikTok app contain Chinese government spyware? Almost certainly.
I don't recommend that anyone that has security clearances install TikTok on their phone.
But we have much more to fear from our own government than we do the Chinese government.
It was our own government that waged a massive propaganda campaign during Covid.
It was our government officials who systematically lied about masking, vaccine efficacy, Hunter's laptop, Russian influence, etc.
It was our government who strong-armed social media firms to censor, shadow-ban, and deplatform anyone who disagreed with the government's narrative.
Remember that both Republicans and Democrats have threatened to arrest the executives/employees of US media firms:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/30/elon-musk-wealth-power
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/10/trump-journalist-media-press-freedom
Unlike the owners of many US media firms, TikTok's owners aren't also US government contractors who stand to lose billions if they don't toe the government's line. TikTok's executives don't have fear debanking, anti-trust prosecution, or arrest if they don't obey US government officials.
While TikTok definitely serves Chinese propaganda, they have little incentive to serve _US_ propaganda.
As a result, if they have access to TikTok, US citizens can get access to stories that might have otherwise been self-censored or suppressed by the US government.
Which is the real reason the USG want to block TikTok in the US.