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Okay I’ve had coffee and now I’ve had a think about what it would mean for Trump to ban TikTok.
And the best comparison we’ve got is the Great Firewall of China.
And the best comparison we’ve got is the Great Firewall of China.
China does exactly what Trump is now proposing to do: it bans certain websites, certain apps.
The only functional way to do this is to lock out the actual web traffic, across the whole country.
The only functional way to do this is to lock out the actual web traffic, across the whole country.
I don’t want to guess at the untold millions spent on keeping the Firewall even partway functional, but everyone who’s in tech knows that a decent VPN can bypass it in a heartbeat and there is fuck all the Chinese government can do about it.
VPN = virtual private network. If you can’t reach TikTok’s servers (because the traffic is blocked) then you connect to your VPN, which routes the traffic to TikTok on your behalf.
This can’t be blocked because it’s all encrypted. All the Firewall sees is the VPN connection.
This can’t be blocked because it’s all encrypted. All the Firewall sees is the VPN connection.
But can they block the VPN traffic, Claire?
Yes but there are thousands of VPN companies, using hundreds of thousands of servers, and China doesn’t want to actually break their internet - just make it hard for regular people to access some stuff.
Yes but there are thousands of VPN companies, using hundreds of thousands of servers, and China doesn’t want to actually break their internet - just make it hard for regular people to access some stuff.
By and large, it’s tough to access some apps in China, and as a result, Chinese users use the home-grown stuff. It’s protectionism, favouring Chinese companies over foreign ones. Plus, y’know, all that censorship bullshit.
Damn stupid idea IMO, it serves no one and especially not the Chinese people. But that’s a discussion for another day.
So TikTok, right? TikTok is Chinese. It’s also a shitshow of insecurity and sucks up user info and sends it back to China.
So TikTok, right? TikTok is Chinese. It’s also a shitshow of insecurity and sucks up user info and sends it back to China.
I know we joke about tech companies being in bed with the NSA but TikTok is all that and a side of fries with the Chinese government. So there are a lot of reasons not to use it anyway.
But banning it?
Trump could try, but what would that look like, functionally?
But banning it?
Trump could try, but what would that look like, functionally?
Probably like the Great Firewall, I expect. Meaning worse case scenario, it gets pulled from the app stores and people have to side load it instead.
Could he order the traffic to be blocked? My gut says no, because the infrastructure to do so doesn’t exist in the US, AFAIK.
Could he order the traffic to be blocked? My gut says no, because the infrastructure to do so doesn’t exist in the US, AFAIK.
(Recall for a moment that Hollywood spent over a decade and millions of dollars and still couldn’t get the Pirate Bay offline or effectively blocked anywhere. People really underestimate just how possible it is to get something off the Internet permanently.)
BTW side loading is when you directly load an app on your phone, as if it’s a computer (which it is)
Anyway - to block the traffic, you’d have to get the block in place on all the major net traffic links into th US. Big question mark on that
Anyway - to block the traffic, you’d have to get the block in place on all the major net traffic links into th US. Big question mark on that
Any dev ops people who work for Level 3 or the like might know better than I would, but even so: a VPN bypasses it instantly. It’ll stop people who aren’t especially techy.
But you have to consider the audience here.
But you have to consider the audience here.
The TikTok cohort who went fucking with the Tulsa rally are politically motivated and 100% comfortable with tech. Even if they don’t know what a VPN is right now, you can bet your buns if it becomes a requirement to have one, they will have one, and the fuckery will continue.
TBH it might not continue on TikTok, but it WILL continue in some form.
But here’s the other angle - protectionism. Is Trump going to ban TikTok because FB is about to launch a competitor called Instagram Reels?
But here’s the other angle - protectionism. Is Trump going to ban TikTok because FB is about to launch a competitor called Instagram Reels?
Protecting a US company over a Chinese one? I wouldn’t put it past him. And in fairness, there are good reasons to use something other than TikTok, because TikTok IS the Chinese government and using it means giving your data to them wholesale.
US companies at least have the pretence of data privacy - see Apple and the FBI trying to get into the iPhone of the Boston bomber, for example.
I don’t think Trump has this level of self-awareness TBH. He doesn’t even know what TikTok is.
I don’t think Trump has this level of self-awareness TBH. He doesn’t even know what TikTok is.
I mean he probably knows it’s Chinese and all the kids use it, possibly he’s been told it’s a security risk.
But look at some of the shit he’s come out with. Dude has this delusion that he’s a king and he can just command stuff to happen.
But look at some of the shit he’s come out with. Dude has this delusion that he’s a king and he can just command stuff to happen.
So banning TikTok = still probably a waste of time, will do nothing to stop the fuckery, will cost a LOT of money, might make Instagram Reels a bit more popular.
It’s a bold move, Cotton, let’s see how it plays out.
It’s a bold move, Cotton, let’s see how it plays out.
