Let’s get this straight
Being in the hot seat is no fun. While TikTok CEO Shou Chew maintained his composure through most of the 5-hour grilling he endured at the hands of Congress, there were moments when his frustration was clear, especially when he told one congressman that the representative was not giving him the opportunity to respond.
That was the case with most of the hearing, where lawmakers took the opportunity to deliver mini-speeches and seemed less-than-interested in Chew’s answers.
The point of the hearing was to dig into TikTok’s ties to its Chinese parent company ByteDance. It started well for Chew with him outlining TikTok’s plan to firewall American usage data from not just ByteDance and China, but any foreign entity.
There’d be, among other things, a new subsidiary run by Americans, the removal of all legacy data from ByteDance-accessible servicers, and third-party watchdogs to make sure TikTok didn’t mess up. The overall plan is called “Project Texas.”
The response from congresspeople was, “meh.”
If the point of the hearing was to truly understand how much access and control the Chinese communist Party has over TikTok and its data, it mostly failed. Still, there were a few moments that jumped out at me, like when Chew revealed that he reports to ByteDance’s CEO. His boss is in China and might be a member of the communist party (or he might not). That and the fact that Chew owns ByteDance stock.
Unfortunately, most of the time was spent on TikTok’s potential harm to young people. Lawmakers highlighted cases in which teens have taken their own lives allegedly after watching violent or suicide ideation videos on the platform.
I have no doubt that the rabbit hole of sadness any social media can drag you through can be damaging and even dangerous. But anyone who spends time on these platforms knows these tragedies are the exception and not the rule.
I’m not arguing that social media can’t be damaging to young minds. Unrealistic images of beauty and body image, violence, and hate are common across multiple platforms. TikTok is no different than Instagram and Twitter in that regard. Perhaps TikTok’s algorithm, which steers you toward content you appear to like, is more powerful and precise than most.
One of the fascinating things about the hearing is this is the only time in recent years where both sides of the aisle are in wild agreement: TikTok is bad. It’s of course, an easy one for them to align behind because their target is, in fact, China. The other target was “woke ideology,” an argument so stupid that I won’t even address it here.
Our relationship with China has deteriorated significantly in recent years but make no mistake, we are still deeply in bed with them. They make most of our products, especially ones featuring the technology.
The part of the hearing that really galled me that was when lawmakers implied that TikTok was the biggest threat to the well-being of our children. It’s not. That would be gun violence, a topic on which we can never get all of Congress on the same page. In fact, we can barely get a hearing on it.
No one is arguing that social media doesn't need regulation. That is clearly what’s been missing for years. But to pin all the problems on TikTok is ridiculous. It’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and any emerging platform that isn’t built with sufficient guardrails.
I’ve been asked repeatedly if TikTok really could be banned. With Congress and the White House in agreement, it’s a possibility but I suspect a lot of the behind-the-scenes lobbying and also all the American investment money tied up in TikTok may prevent that.
My hope is that this sparks a real discussion about regulation that forces social media to take stronger action, gives users and officials more oversight, and that makes these platforms safer for everyone while preserving the vibrant communities growing within them.
I also share some of my thought on the topic on CNN. You can watch it here on my TikTok.
Signs of the apocalips
Speaking of China, one enterprising startup created a remote kissing machine. It uses an app and a set of silicon lips. There are sensors in the lips to help transmits your action back to the recipient on the other side of the remote kissing call. Yes, the silicon lips move based on the real action happening with the other pair of silicon lips.
Yeah, it’s weird, creepy, and, naturally quite popular.
Clean up
Is your tech dirty? there are crumbs in my keyboard, fingerprints on my screens, and dust in my ports…computer and phone ports.
I’ve collected a bunch of tips and some useful products for safely cleaning devices without damaging the delicate components. Pro tips:
Don’t run anything underwater
Don’s spray your screens
Never scrub
Do remove all the dust, especially for systems that need air circulation
For my advice and demonstrations, catch me this Wednesday on Live with Kelly and Ryan. Check your local listings.