TikTok—the China-owned app that is currently the most popular social platform in America —is at the center of a swirling geopolitical and economic debate. The app has faced criticism from U.S. government officials who say the app gives China access to American data, making it a security risk. Here, we discuss the risks, the efficacy of bans, and consider the possibility of a TikTok-less America.

Show Notes

TikTok—the China-owned app that is currently the most popular social platform in America —is at the center of a swirling geopolitical and economic debate. The app has faced criticism from U.S. government officials who say the app gives China access to American data, making it a security risk. Here, we discuss the risks, the efficacy of bans, and consider the possibility of a TikTok-less America.

Discussants:

• The Honorable David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy
• Joe Barnes, Bonner Means Baker Fellow, Baker Institute for Public Policy
• Aynne Kokas, Ph.D., Nonresident Scholar, Baker Institute for Public Policy and Assistant Professor of Media Studies, University of Virginia
• Steven W. Lewis, Ph.D., C.V. Starr Transnational China Fellow, Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer Intern Program Coordinator, Baker Institute for Policy Policy

For more on this topic, see the book by Dr. Aynne Kokas, “Trafficking Data: How China Is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty.”