Is time running out for TikTok?
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The app that’s taken the internet by storm with its viral dance videos has found itself in the middle of a national security debate.
TikTok is banned on U.S. government devices and some college campuses, and efforts for a wider ban have ramped up in recent weeks with some members of Congress recently introducing legislation that would give President Biden the power to ban TikTok.
So how did we get here?
“It became so popular that all of the sudden it was the ‘everything’ app. People were turning to it to search for things the way that some of us would turn to Google to search for things, and a lot of people are now getting their news on TikTok … It now has a really powerful hold over our culture and our discourse,” said Emily Baker-White, a tech reporter at Forbes.
On the show today, Baker-White explains why some members of Congress see TikTok as a national security threat, how real that threat actually is, and what an all-out ban would even look like. Plus, she spills the tea on what it was like to be spied on by TikTok.
In the News Fix: How a viral parody tweet may have helped bring down insulin prices. Also, we’ll explain what the latest round of job cuts at Meta say about the larger tech industry. And, we couldn’t get through an episode with a little Silicon Valley Bank update.
Later, one listener shares their experience with rooftop solar panels. And, this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question comes from a listener who was wrong about the volatile nature of the tech industry, amid the SVB fiasco.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “TikTok’s master plan to win over Washington” from Vox
- “Senate, White House push new bipartisan bill that could ban TikTok” from Politico
- “EXCLUSIVE: TikTok Spied On Forbes Journalists” from Forbes
- “TikTok tries to sell ‘Project Texas’ as it fights for survival in the U.S.” from NBC News
- “How A TikTok Ban Would Work — And How TikTok Could Fight Back” from Forbes
- “Novo Nordisk to slash US insulin prices, following move by Eli Lilly” from Reuters
- Tweet from @MorePerfectUS about their staff writer’s viral parody Eli Lilly tweet
- “Meta to Lay Off 10,000 Employees, Cut 5,000 More Open Jobs” from Bloomberg
- “George Santos Signals Intention to Seek Re-election in 2024” from The New York Times
What have you been wrong about lately? We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question! Leave us a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART, and your submission may be featured in a future episode.
