Re: @AC Let Trump buy it
I think you've rather missed the point and applied an entirely western perspective to it.
Financially it's a smart move to sell out.
But, it's a terrible idea to do so under coercion if you're concerned about the associated loss of face.
Funnily enough, some value things above money.
> You talk about the larger market outside of the US. Sure. but where's the capital? Google, FB, Apple, etc ... US companies.
Care to point to the US capital that Tiktok has relied on, given that it's them we're talking about?
More generally, yes, most of the capital is in the US, but don't take it for granted - if the country makes itself into a (relative) internet backwater through protectionism the ROI just won't be there, particular if retaliatory action starts in other large markets.
> But the issue that Trump sees as why he want's it shut down are also seen by other 5eye countries.
There have, as yet, been no revelations other than "oh no, bad China" - there's no evidence of them collecting any more data than the US social media companies. As for "the govt can coerce them to provide data" I'd point you to the Patriot Act and the CLOUD act as starting points.
I'd also point out that it was America - the NSA - caught intercepting hardware shipments and tampering with them.
None of this is to say that China == good, just that the US is currently buried in it's own hypocrisy, and there's a good chance (especially with current leadership) that it'll come back to bite them.
Also, there's no real evidence that Trumps concern with Tiktok actually extends any further than the fact their users made him look a prick by taking up all the tickets for his rally.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
