TikTok users in the US are experiencing something long familiar to much of the world: a flourishing online social space existentially threatened by politics

Banned apps, nefarious theories, trade wars, voiceless users. The case of TikTok isn't news to most of the world.

New York Times 2020-09-24 John Herrman

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@rasmus_kleis Rasmus Kleis Nielsen on x
“A flourishing online social space existentially threatened by diplomatic and political fights between states and corporations, with little input from those affected by their decisions” @jwherrman captures what internet is like for most people, now US too https://www.nytimes.com/…
@nytimes @nytimes on x
For people in the U.S. who spend a lot of time on TikTok, the last few months have been surreal. But they're experiencing for the first time something long familiar to much of the rest of the world. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x
“What the United States has done to TikTok is almost the same as a gangster forcing an unreasonable and unfair business deal on a legitimate company,” state-owned China Daily. Is China going to call the bluff? https://www.cnn.com/...
@jwherrman John Herrman on x
Welcome to the real global internet, America https://www.nytimes.com/...
@bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x
While TikTok's lawyers are not saying it outright, they sure are strongly suggesting that they think Trump's crackdown on TikTok is in retaliation for the Tulsa rally prank. https://twitter.com/...
@bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x
Wow: In new filing, Vanessa Pappas, TikTok's interim global head, says when rumors first started to circulate about Trump banning TikTok, the app was adding 424,000 new daily users every day. https://twitter.com/...
@bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x
Hiring has gotten harder for TikTok, Pappas says. In fact, she says 52 candidates they offered jobs to have declined, citing the Trump ban. https://twitter.com/...
@bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x
Pappas: Trump targeting TikTok has caused a dozen brands to cancel deals with the app. In August alone, Trump's crackdown cost TikTok $10 million. https://twitter.com/...
@bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x
Pappas: TikTok modeling suggests that if U.S. bans TikTok for two weeks, the app will lose UP TO HALF of its daily active users. If ban persists for two months, 90% of its users could be gone forever. https://twitter.com/...
@scottnover Scott Nover on x
Sensor Tower says that TikTok had 7.5 million new U.S. installs in June. That'd be 250,000 new users per day. In March, when TikTok peaked, it had 10.5 million new downloads per day. That'd be 350,000. I'm gonna say that 424,000 number (12.7 million installs/month) is inflated. h…
@stephennellis Stephen Nellis on x
Some more TikTok deal tick tock with @DEER_ECHO_ and @davidshepardson - this time with fresh details about a key term sheet that looks nothing like what you'd normally see in the world of corporate mergers - https://www.reuters.com/...

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TikTok users in the US are experiencing something long familiar to much of the world: a flourishing online social space existentially threatened by politics

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