The clock is ticking on social media giant TikTok, which faces a nationwide ban in the United States unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells it by January 19. Social media theorist Clay Shirky unpacks why the US is trying to ban TikTok, what it means for the app’s users and creators and the implications for national security, freedom of speech, US-China relations and more.
In the grand crusade to keep us informed their way, those in power would never tolerate an app that thrives on actual free speech. Enter TikTok and X (formerly Twitter): the twin thorns in the side of the elite. But wait—one’s owned by the richest man on Earth, and the other by, well, China. You catching my drift? Yeah, it’s a spicy situation.
So, TikTok got the axe, and not for the reasons you might expect. Let’s break it down into three painfully obvious “official” reasons:
- TikTok raked in boatloads of cash, and the powers-that-be? Let’s just say they’re not big on sharing pie.
- TikTok hijacked attention—precious, monetizable views—away from the curated narratives “THEY” so desperately wanted us to believe. Tragic, right?
- TikTok became a stage for frontline voices—uncensored, unfiltered, and not pre-approved by “our” trusted news networks. How dare people hear “the real” instead of “the reel”?
Of course, this app quickly became a nightmare for those trying to keep society’s thoughts tied up neatly in a bow. Their grip on the narrative slipped, and boy, did they hate that. So they did what any control freak would do: shut it down. Game, set, match.
Here’s the thing: when every person has a phone and a camera, the veil of power starts to crack. Social media without limits or political meddling gives people the platform to speak freely—about injustices, about failures, and, worst of all, about politicians not doing their jobs. Turns out, liberation starts with a hashtag.
So, do you see it now? TikTok wasn’t banned for being problematic—it was banned for being better than their carefully curated news networks. That’s the real tea.