Marketplace Tech Export controls on TikTok's algorithm are unique but not unprecedented
Oct 6, 2025
The podcast discusses the complexity of controlling algorithms, particularly TikTok's, amidst U.S.-China tensions. It explores how abstract algorithms are challenging for export regulations. The conversation delves into past export restrictions on encryption from the Cold War, highlighting their relevance today. Experts predict a resurgence of export controls in AI policy, drawing parallels to historical challenges in regulating technology. The dialogue emphasizes the ongoing geopolitical struggle over tech exports.
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Algorithms Are Harder To Restrict Than Goods
- Algorithms are abstract sets of rules expressed as math and code rather than physical items you can box.
- That makes them intrinsically harder to contain across borders than commodities like graphite.
Algorithms Evolve, Not Sit Still
- An algorithm is essentially math and evolving rules implemented in code, not a physical widget.
- Stephen Weber emphasizes that machine learning systems continually adapt based on user interactions, complicating control.
Encryption Controls As A Precedent
- Governments have still tried to regulate abstract tech despite difficulty, using past examples.
- Tufts' Susan Landau points to U.S. efforts to control encryption as a precedent.
