#mydata

ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, also owns other popular apps like Lemon8 and CapCut. TikTok itself emerged after ByteDance acquired and merged with the app Musical.ly in 2018, creating a global social media powerhouse. (Note: Musical.ly was a separate app, not Vine, which was owned by Twitter and shut down in 2017.) The U.S. government's scrutiny of TikTok and similar apps is not just about individual platforms but is part of a broader effort to address potential security risks posed by technology companies based in adversarial nations, such as China and Russia. These concerns stem from laws in these countries, like China's National Intelligence Law, which can compel companies to share data with their governments.

Another major Chinese company under scrutiny is Tencent, a tech and entertainment giant with stakes in numerous video game companies. Tencent fully owns Riot Games (League of Legends, Valorant), has a significant minority stake in Epic Games (Fortnite), and collaborates with Activision on Call of Duty: Mobile. Tencent also has ownership in mobile gaming leader Supercell and a variety of other entertainment and tech platforms.

The U.S. government, including agencies like the Department of Justice and Department of Defense, has raised concerns about Tencent's connections to the Chinese government and military. While no bans have been enacted yet, Tencent's global reach in gaming and entertainment makes it a potential target for further investigation, as geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China continue to escalate.

In my view, this isn't actually rooted in data or a legitimate security risk. It appears to be more about American companies being outcompeted on a global stage. However, the security risk argument serves as a convenient precedent (much like the rhetoric around terrorism and WMDs) for justifying aggressive actions that align with specific political agendas, such as those laid out in Project 2025.

Project 2025, as part of the broader "America First" agenda, proposes significant rollbacks on progressive policies implemented over the past four decades. These include restrictions on media, video games, women's rights, immigration reforms, and minority rights. While framed as promoting national security and traditional values, these measures align with a broader conservative agenda aimed at reshaping cultural and economic landscapes in favor of nationalist priorities.