Sources: Mark Zuckerberg stoked concerns about Chinese internet companies and TikTok in meetings with officials and several senators in Washington, DC last fall

Social-media tycoon emphasized threat from Chinese internet companies as he worked to fend off U.S. regulation of Facebook

Wall Street Journal 2020-08-24

Discussion

@ritholtz Barry Ritholtz on x
Why do people keep under-estimating $FB's CEO? He is less naive, more willing to use bare knuckle strategies, including getting government to fight his rivals, than often believed. https://www.wsj.com/...
@taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x
Well well well https://www.wsj.com/...
@taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x
@donie This statement is so confusing. “This is ludicrous! but yes, he believes Chinese tech is bad”
@cat_zakrzewski Cat Zakrzewski on x
@andymstone @TaylorLorenz @donie But the Journal story doesn't say or suggest that he was solely responsible. “It couldn't be determined exactly what role Mr. Zuckerberg's comments have played in the government's handling of TikTok.”
@donie Donie O'Sullivan on x
“Ludicrous” — Facebook pushing back on WSJ story. https://twitter.com/...
@andymstone Andy Stone on x
@WSJ Response from Facebook to this story: https://twitter.com/...
@blakereid Blake E. Reid on x
Apple's App Store behavior is pretty bad, but Facebook pressuring the WH to ban a direct competitor is a whole 'nother level https://twitter.com/...
@jason_kint Jason Kint on x
My only point is you have party leaders on both sides of aisle who have reportedly pushed scrutiny of Facebook's competition and pushed narratives and policy approaches which help brush back more badly-needed scrutiny of Facebook. It's good to be king/queen.
@slpng_giants @slpng_giants on x
When you allow verifiable lies in election ads and avoid enforcing your Terms of Service to make one person happy, you can then use that happy person to kneecap your competition. And so continues the @Facebook monopoly. https://twitter.com/...
@lizclaman Liz Claman on x
Could it be any more obvious? @facebook hands over the gun, hints @realdonaldtrump should point it at ⁦@tiktok_us⁩ and if he bans, $FB business threat neutralized. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington's Fears About TikTok - WSJ https://www.wsj.com/...
@dericsayers Eric Sayers on x
Whatever you think of admin policy on TikTok, admin/WH/NSC were discussing TikTok internally as early as 2018. Hill was discussing it extensively in summer 2019. This story is very A+B=C and that's flat out not how Washington works. https://www.wsj.com/...
@filloux Frederic Filloux on x
We can see the deal: Zuckerberg to Trump: “Mr. President: get TikTok out of the way. We will provide ammo to make your case. Shield us from any antitrust action for the next four years. In return we will help you win as we did in 2016”. https://www.wsj.com/...
@arainert @arainert on x
Put aside the erosion of democracy and instead focus on how beautiful it is when two people without scruples who'll stop at nothing maintain their power find each other ❤️ https://twitter.com/...
@wblau Wolfgang Blau on x
WSJ: “Zuckerberg stoked Washington's fears about TikTok” If true, facebook must have given up now on its own ambitions in China. What about the supposedly huge revenue it receives from Chinese companies advertising on fb abroad? https://www.wsj.com/...
@jason_kint Jason Kint on x
Don't sleep on @SenSchumer role in boosting Facebook's interests as discussed in this report. https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@mattzeitlin Matthew Zeitlin on x
Thiel: accuse google of treason in public Zuckerberg: whisper about TikTok in private https://twitter.com/...
@parkermolloy Parker Molloy on x
Of course of course of course https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@mrinaldesai Mrinal Desai on x
America first? 😉😁😁 https://twitter.com/...
@donie Donie O'Sullivan on x
This is the WSJ story. As the headline says, WSJ is saying Zuckerberg stoked fear, not that he dictates U.S. gov policy. Facebook says WSJ story doesn't include enough on concerns about TikTok/China that existed before Zuck went to DC. https://www.wsj.com/...
@katerinareports Katerina Ang on x
Took five years from Mark Zuckerberg to go from staging a photo with a Xi Jinping book prominently displayed to complaining to a U.S. president that Chinese tech threatens American values and tech supremacy https://www.wsj.com/...
@wsj @wsj on x
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg stoked concerns about TikTok in meetings last fall with officials and lawmakers, people familiar with the matter said https://www.wsj.com/...
@benmullin Ben Mullin on x
The WSJ story doesn't say that these “concerns” have been “shaped” by Mark Zuckerberg alone: https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@jerrydunleavy Jerry Dunleavy on x
Zuckerberg was right to raise such fears about Chinese tech orgs like TikTok, as the Pentagon, the Justice Department's National Security Division, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and more have all affirmed. The CCP has a voracious appetite for US data. …
@michaelbkelley Michael B. Kelley on x
‘In a private dinner at the White House in late October, Mr. Zuckerberg made the case to President Trump that the rise of Chinese internet companies threatens American business, and should be a bigger concern than reining in Facebook, some of the people said.’ https://twitter.com…
@nathanking @nathanking on x
Because the China door closed on him and Facebook was launching a rival, copied product. https://twitter.com/...
@scottnover Scott Nover on x
I think every single one of my TikTok legal stories has mentioned the First Amendment. It's hugely important not to treat this—a president essentially shutting down a social network—as normal. https://twitter.com/...
@arjunkharpal Arjun Kharpal on x
TikTok will challenge Trump's executive order banning U.S. transactions. Any legal experts out there have thoughts on: 1) What they'll base their legal argument on 2) How likely TikTok is to win? https://www.cnbc.com/...
@drmadmaddox Jess Maddox on x
Some takeaways: 1) The lawsuit does not brooch the subject of divestiture. 2) The vagueness of the order as under the purview of the Commerce Sec. 3) Lack of due process. This is from an incorrect use of IEEPA by 45 & is where the meat of the lawsuit is. https://www.cnbc.com/...
@wsj @wsj on x
A group of WeChat users filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the U.S. ban violates users' rights to free speech, due process and equal protection under law https://www.wsj.com/...
@tiktok_comms @tiktok_comms on x
We have not wavered in our commitment either to our users or to our employees." Hear more from TikTok US GM @v_ness in her conversation with Bloomberg's @sbanjo https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@b_fung Brian Fung on x
TikTok says it'll sue the Trump administration over its executive order: “To ensure that the rule of law prevails and that our company and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the Executive Order through the judicial system.”
@sherman4949 Alex Sherman on x
Some additional context — TikTok challenging the executive order is separate from the CFIUS issue that is forcing the sale of US operations. Sale talks continue, I'm told by people familiar with the matter.
@hoofnagle Chris Hoofnagle on x
Funny that WeChat users had to form their own non profit — why isn't the “Internet” Association on the case? https://www.wsj.com/...? https://twitter.com/...
@daniele_manca Daniele Manca on x
Lawsuit Claims U.S. WeChat (il whatsapp cinese) Ban Is Unconstitutional Group of users of popular Tencent-owned app says Trump administration's planned curbs violate civil rights, target Chinese-Americans- ⁦@WSJ⁩ https://www.wsj.com/...

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Sources: Mark Zuckerberg stoked concerns about Chinese internet companies and TikTok in meetings with officials and several senators in Washington, DC last fall

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