America is finally getting rid of TikTok (maybe). The kids on TikTok have decided to move to an even *more* Chinese spyware app.
TikTok is best understood as an intelligence operation that managed to (a) run in broad daylight and (b) make money. In just a few years it became the go-to news source for an entire generation of Americans under 30. Itās one of the greatest ops in the history of intel.Ā² Respect. š
The U.S. government recognized this reality and called Chinaās bluff. The TikTok legislation basically said, āHey, we know that this is an op and not a business. But if you want to pretend TikTok is just a business, fine. Weāre going to make you sell it. This is a thing that a legitimate business would be happy to do, because legitimate businesses are motivated entirely by money and when ByteDance sells TikTok itās going to get paid absolute bank.ā
In response, ByteDance/ChiComs said, āActually, no. We donāt want to let anyone see under the hood of our tradecraft. Weāll just shut the op down. We donāt care about the money.ā
I cannot be clear enough about this:
If TikTok were a business and not an intelligence operationāand if ByteDance were an independent company and not a wholly-owned government subsidiary ultimately answering to Xi Jinpingāthen ByteDance would have sold it and pocketed hundreds of billions of dollars.
The fact that ByteDance is shutting TikTok down is an admission of guilt.
The only people who donāt understand this are the kids on TikTok.
