US intelligence warns of Chinese interference through Tik Tok in the presidential election. Debate over bill to force Chinese owners to sell app. Can Beijing use social media to undermine American democracy? Would banning Tik Tok stop it? Analysis by BBC and Wired journalists.
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TikTok Is A Wide-Reaching Short-Form Platform
TikTok has evolved from dance videos into a broad short-form platform where people find news, hobbies and niche communities.
McKenna Kelly notes the average US user is about 30, showing its reach beyond just Gen Z.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Journalists Must Understand TikTok's Influence
John Sudworth admits he isn't part of TikTok's crochet community despite its cultural reach.
He notes journalists still must understand TikTok because of its political influence in the US.
insights INSIGHT
China Fears Drive Bipartisan Action
Bipartisan US concern about TikTok stems from a broader tougher stance on China since the Trump era.
John Sudworth says the core worry is ByteDance's China headquarters and potential CCP influence.
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US intelligence says China may use Tik Tok to interfere in the presidential election. Now Washington is debating a bill that would force the app’s Chinese owners to sell up, even as politicians like Joe Biden use Tik Tok as a campaign tool.
So, how might Beijing use social media to undermine American democracy? And would selling or even banning Tik Tok do anything to stop it? Lyse Doucet speaks to BBC North America correspondent John Sudworth and Wired senior political writer Makena Kelly.
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The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.
This episode was made by Peter Goffin, Beth Timmins and Emilia Jansson. The technical producers were Hannah Montgomery and Matt Hewitt. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
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