The Inquiry Is time up for TikTok in the US?
13 snips
Sep 9, 2025 The podcast dives into the turbulent future of TikTok in the U.S., focusing on national security concerns and data privacy. Legal issues surrounding the app are front and center, with discussions on Supreme Court rulings and potential bans. The implementation of Project Texas aims to address data security through local storage with Oracle. Global reactions, including India's ban, highlight the broader implications of TikTok's Chinese ownership. The economic impact on small businesses and the competition with U.S. social media platforms add layers of complexity to an already fraught situation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
The 2025 TikTok Outage Moment
- On 19 January 2025 TikTok briefly went dark for 170 million US users after ByteDance missed a divestment deadline.
- President Trump reinstated the app by delaying enforcement and later extended the deadline multiple times.
Congress Meant A Hard Line
- Congress passed PFACA to force ByteDance to divest or face a ban due to data and propaganda worries.
- Alan Rozenshtein warns the president cannot lawfully suspend the statute and enforcement is straightforward.
Beijing Holds The Keys
- Beijing likely controls whether a sale can transfer TikTok's core algorithm and thus real control.
- Rozenshtein argues China gains strategic advantage from keeping TikTok's algorithm and so has little incentive to allow full divestment.