The messy truth about TikTok’s Trump-aligned takeover |
“What's happening on TikTok is at this particular moment I believe less about censorship and more about normal internet problems,” David Pierce, The Verge’s editor-at-large, tells the Today, Explained podcast. | Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images
It’s been just over a week since TikTok — in the United States — transferred into the hands of new owners. And it’s been a mess ever since.
At the government’s urging, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance sold the app to a mostly American group of investors, including the software business giant Oracle (founded by Trump ally Larry Ellison), MGX (an Abu Dhabi-based company also involved in Trump crypto ventures) and the private equity firm Silver Lake.
But since the new owners took control, the app has seen major outages and malfunctions, claims of censorship and uproar over its updated terms of service.
Today, Explained guest host Jonquilyn Hill sat down with David Pierce, editor-at-large at The Verge, to break down people’s concerns about TikTok’s new owners and what this may mean for people’s experiences on the social media app in the future. Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today, Explained........