• Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock
Editor's Pick

DAVID MARCUS: China already played us with TikTok. Let’s not make it worse

by January 19, 2025
written by January 19, 2025
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

To be or not to be, that is the question for social media giant TikTok’s future in the United States.

The fate of the Chinese Communist Party-controlled app is one of very few issues that seem to divide Americans on both sides of our most fundamental ideological divides, which is roughly to say, pro-Donald Trump and anti-Donald Trump.

This is a pretty good sign that there are legitimate competing interests for axing the app and letting it flourish in the U.S. Those in favor of the short-video platform see themselves as champions of free speech; those opposed as guardians of national security. Both may have a point.

For the decision on TikTok to be thoughtfully and honestly reached, it must be fully understood and acknowledged just how much damage this Chinese spying and propaganda operation has already wrought.

The fact that Chinese owner ByteDance is refusing to sell TikTok is kind of confirmation that it was a CCP operation all along. It wasn’t launched by a Chinese entrepreneur looking to make money, or he would jump at a $50 billion dollar offer – especially when it is either that or go dark in the United States.

No, the real value of TikTok for the CCP was always as an informational attack on the U.S. intended to steal our private data, including that of millions of our children, and to promote anti-American ideology. Remember the ‘Osama Bin Laden wasn’t so bad’ TikTok craze?

Information is serious national security business. According to the Defense Department, America’s levers of international power are described by the DIME paradigm as Diplomatic, Informational, Military, and Economic.

In three of these, the U.S. is dominant. But, owing to our First Amendment and the free nature of our society, we are always at a disadvantage against our authoritarian foreign foes when it comes to the use of information as a weapon.

This is not a two-way social media street with China. As Elon Musk, owner of the competitor platform X noted this week, ‘The current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced. Something needs to change.’

Nobody should hold their breath waiting for China to liberalize its internal social media censorship, but Musk’s point is well taken. This is asymmetrical informational warfare. 

All of this is why the ban on TikTok, should Bytedance continue its refusal to divest, was passed by a big bipartisan majority and why Trump was on board at that time. Now, with TikTok choosing to go dark on Sunday in the U.S., the rubber has met the road.

Sure, there are plenty of Americans who use TikTok in completely non-nefarious ways to run their business, keep up on hobbies, or just to be mindlessly entertained, and they understandably don’t want it to disappear.

For his part, Trump has come to believe that TikTok played a significant role in securing his election win. There isn’t a whole lot of hard evidence to back this up, but there are those in Trump’s inner circle, such as Kellyanne Conway, who have lobbied for TikTok in Congress.

If Trump can strike a deal that saves TikTok in America by eliminating the national security threat it poses, then great. That would be a double win. But while these competing interests are both legitimate, they are not equal, and our country’s defense must clearly come first.

For his part, Trump seems to understand this, posting on Truth Social on Sunday that he wants the ‘United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to stay up. Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok.’

Deal or no deal, whether TikTok survives or not, you have to tip your cap to Communist China for one of the most effective information operations ever executed against the United States. Endless bytes of data stolen, millions of hours of propaganda poured into the eyes and ears of our kids.

It took our government years to understand what TikTok was really doing, longer to act, and now, even after it has decisively acted, we just can’t seem to pull the plug on the listening device. And one potential solution is to give China upwards of $50 billion for its trouble.

Trump wants 90 days to make a deal, and nobody does it better. But after that, either the CCP is out of the TikTok business or TikTok must be out of the U.S. There really is no third option.

Related Topics

Opinion
Media
Science & Technology Culture
Trump Transition

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
Biden pardons late Black activist Marcus Garvey, 4 others
next post
Trump gets inaugurated Monday; here’s how the Supreme Court swears in new presidents

related articles

Department of Justice opens criminal investigation into NY...

May 9, 2025

Trump’s first vice president urges his old boss...

May 9, 2025

White House highlights over $2B in savings from...

May 8, 2025

GOP talk on millionaire tax hike ‘makes no...

May 8, 2025

Trump considers tax hike on Americans making $2.5...

May 8, 2025

GOP senators: Congress should vote on Trump’s potential...

May 8, 2025

Chief Justice Roberts doubles down on defense of...

May 8, 2025

Trump pulls his nomination for DC US attorney,...

May 8, 2025

Trump touts ‘rebuilding and modernization’ of US air...

May 8, 2025

Trump targets Iranian oil with sanctions, increasing pressure...

May 8, 2025
Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News, And Articles.


Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

Latest News

  • Ethereum continues to pull back on Friday near weekly low

    September 6, 2024
  • Trump gives one-word response when asked if he is reconsidering Matt Gaetz’s AG nomination

    November 20, 2024
  • BNB Chain faces $1.64 billion in losses from hacks and rug pulls, report reveals

    July 11, 2024
  • From pandemic struggles to St. Patrick’s Day crowds, Mary O’s soda bread rises to viral fame

    March 17, 2025
  • MORNING GLORY: Don’t DOGE The Deadline! 

    November 14, 2024

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Secret Service admits leaning on ‘state and local partners’ after claim it ignored Trump team’s past requests

    July 21, 2024
  • 2

    Elon and Vivek should tackle US funding for this boondoogle organization and score a multimillion dollar win

    December 4, 2024
  • 3

    Forex Profit Calculator: Maximize Your Trading Potential

    July 10, 2024
  • 4

    Five more House Democrats call on Biden to drop out, third US senator

    July 19, 2024
  • 5

    Biden calls to ‘lower the temperature’ then bashes Trump in NAACP speech

    July 17, 2024

Categories

  • Economy (829)
  • Editor's Pick (4,433)
  • Investing (593)
  • Stock (735)

Latest Posts

  • President-elect Trump taps slew of administration picks days before inauguration

    January 17, 2025
  • Political betting markets still have plenty of action despite end of election season

    November 29, 2024
  • ‘Wouldn’t tolerate it’: House Republican calls second Hegseth Signal report ‘unacceptable’

    April 21, 2025

Recent Posts

  • Gabbard sheds light on Assad visit, expresses shock intelligence community showed no interest at the time

    January 30, 2025
  • The US is not ready for a nuclear showdown with China, key conservatives warn Trump

    March 31, 2025
  • Solana and Cardano: Solana is stable on the bullish side

    August 8, 2024

Editor’s Pick

  • Tim Walz’s claims about using IVF to have family aren’t exactly true

    August 21, 2024
  • Marco Rubio refuses to visit South Africa for G-20 summit, accuses government of ‘doing very bad things’

    February 6, 2025
  • Trump taps FCC member Brendan Carr to lead agency: ‘Warrior for Free Speech’

    November 18, 2024
  • About us
  • Contacts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Email Whitelisting

Disclaimer: moneyrisetoday.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

Copyright © 2025 moneyrisetoday.com | All Rights Reserved

Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock