1A Click Here: The TikTok Ban, China, And National Security
Mar 24, 2025
Dina Temple-Raston, a savvy host and managing editor of Click Here, dives into the turbulent narrative of TikTok in the U.S. The conversation explores the national security fears linked to the app and the ongoing legal battles surrounding its parent company, ByteDance. Dina examines the cultural identity struggles faced by users, especially regarding the Uyghur crisis, and highlights youthful activism on the platform. She also discusses the implications of foreign ownership of social media and the complex future of data privacy in this rapidly evolving landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Esma's TikTok Censorship
- Esma Memtimeem, a Uyghur activist, posted videos on TikTok about human rights abuses against Uyghurs in China.
- TikTok repeatedly took down her videos for various reasons, like "violent behavior", even though they just showed stickers.
TikTok Algorithm Suppression
- Research by Joel Finkelstein suggests TikTok's algorithm suppresses content critical of the CCP.
- Content about topics like the Dalai Lama, Tiananmen Square, and Hong Kong protests appeared far less frequently on TikTok than on Instagram.
Using Trends to Bypass Censorship
- Esma and her friends outsmarted TikTok's algorithm by using trending memes to raise awareness.
- They created sarcastic videos about Uyghur stereotypes, which gained millions of views, demonstrating the power of trends.