Americans are hypocritical about TikTok

The US government’s concern over Chinese app TikTok shows a double standard. Politicians in the Netherlands also use this double standard. While they condemn TikTok’s influence and data collection practices, they ignore the effect of US software giants such as Google, Facebook and Twitter on the Netherlands and the European Union. These companies influence mental, social and political processes through their dominant position in the global digital landscape. American technology companies collect huge amounts of data on their users and therefore have considerable power in all spheres of communication.

As TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, grew in popularity, US officials raised concerns about Chinese espionage and the app’s potential to sway US public opinion. These concerns do not take into account the larger context in which American technology companies around the world have enjoyed similar privileges for years. Rather than simply demonizing TikTok, a more balanced approach would be needed to assess the influence and data collection practices of all tech companies, regardless of their country of origin. While concerns about TikTok may be driven by legitimate security concerns, it’s critical to address the double standards at play here.

Public domain

We must fight for a safe digital landscape in the EU, where technological opportunities are returned to users through public digital services. Emphasis should be placed on communication infrastructures that contribute to a varied and peaceful coexistence. Imagine that commercial parties are allowed to register to participate. However, the data should remain with the user.

The public domain cannot be a revenue model for the few – after all, it belongs to everyone. Because don’t forget what private technology companies are: privat comes from the Latin, privare means “to steal” or “to deprive”: the deprivation of public space. Privare steals the variety and possibilities of public space and impoverishes it by transforming it into a transactional space. Address this power imbalance and build a fairer and safer public digital ecosystem, both in Europe and globally.

John Bonger amsterdam