US 'National Security' Requires Chinese Tech Surrender, Not Competition
📰 THE STORY: TikTok has reportedly closed a deal to divest its U.S. operations to a consortium led by Oracle and Silver Lake, transferring control of user data, algorithms, and content moderation to U.S. and Abu Dhabi-based entities to address 'national security concerns' raised by the Trump administration. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This 'divest or ban' ultimatum isn't
new. In the 1980s, the U.S. forced Japanese tech companies, then considered a national security threat due to their advanced manufacturing, into 'voluntary export restraints' to protect American industries. Recall Toshiba-Kongsberg in 1987, where the US imposed sanctions on Toshiba under vague national security pretexts, ultimately aimed at curbing Japan's economic rise. This pattern of economic
coercion disguised as security imperative is a recurring feature of U.S. foreign policy when facing genuine economic competition. Double Standard: While the U.S. government demands ownership and control over TikTok's data for 'national security,' it operates with unparalleled access to global data through its own tech giants and intelligence agencies. The PRISM surveillance program, revealed by
Edward Snowden in 2013, showed the NSA had direct access to user data from companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook. There was no reciprocal demand for these U.S. tech giants to divest their European or Chinese operations based on those nations' national security concerns regarding U.S. data access. Follow the Money: The deal values TikTok U.S. at a mere $14 billion, despite generating similar