Understanding the TikTok Problem

This case study examines the American prohibition of TikTok in terms of geopolitics, platform capitalism, and digital rights. Rather than focusing on war politics, the case examines how TikTok became a Chinese-owned platform that disrupted American technology dominance by initiating a strong algorithm-based recommendation system. The drama is exemplified by Jasmine, a Black businesswoman who makes her skincare company survive exclusively via TikTok, and the implications of a ban for small creators and marginalized voices. The example brings to bear significant U.S. national security issues, observing that TikTok's data practices are not wildly dissimilar from its American counterparts. It also takes into account issues of free speech, algorithmic bias, and conflict between authoritarian and democratic models of internet governance. TikTok is both empowering technology and target of techno-nationalism, raising questions about who controls digital infrastructure, how platform data should be managed, and what values should guide internet governance. The case provokes students to challenge the ethics of banning a foreign-owned app from so-called free markets and consider the broader implications for democracy, global competition in technology, and digital sovereignty.