A bill to ban TikTok is suddenly moving through Congress, and TikTok is helping to make the case. The big question is if ByteDane is willing — or able — to ultimately go along with it.
Zero-COVID and Free Speech
Zero-COVID is possible, but few of us in the West are willing to pay the costs; the exact same reasoning applies to free speech; in both cases China-lite is the worst possible strategy.
Tech and War
The reaction to the Ukraine invasion has been a demonstration of tech capabilities; those capabilities may be the key to compelling China to pressure Russia.
Russia, Google and Apple; The App Firewall; Laptop Assumptions
Apple and Google removed apps at the Russian government’s requests, thanks to the App Store firewall.
An Interview with Dan Wang About China’s Tech Crackdown
Discussion about China’s tech crackdown, the impact on entrepreneurship, and the difference between hard tech and consumer tech.
Didi Removed From App Stores, China vs. Tech, CAID and Chinese Privacy
China’s move against Didi didn’t happen in isolation: it’s the latest in a series of moves that should give investors pause.
Xinjiang and Nike, China Versus H&M, Apple’s Position in China
What happened to H&M in China should be a warning to smaller companies, but it also suggests that Apple’s position is secure.
Mistakes, Memes, and Foreign Ground; Coronavirus Context; The New York Times and the China Model
Considering a world of memes is uncomfortable, and perhaps explains why journalists want a world of information control. The problem is that we will never be better at this than China.
TikTok Update, Microsoft and Oracle, Apple’s China Production
China is stepping in to the TikTok saga, and their approach seems justified; Microsoft should drop out. Then, how is Apple manufacturing its products in the time of COVID?
TikTok Key Money, Rule By Law, China Gaslighting
Trump put TikTok’s potential sale to Microsoft in a new light, and it is an exceedingly ugly one.