[adorno]

I've never used TikTok, but I'm sure China allows Americans -- even conservatives -- to post things that Facebook/Google would ban.

TikTok is he CCP, and as such, it will allow all kinds of American opinion to get through. That's because, China wants to know (or spy) on everything and every thought that Americans put forth. It's how they learn about how to target people and what messaging to send back, such as the poisoning that they advance. If you don't understand the thinking, you don't know how to address it in the future and you don't know how to change it.

Google and others may ban/block some conservative messaging, but, that messaging has a way to get through via other sites or via TV/radio/internet/newspapers and magazines; the Chinese only have the CCP messaging, not matter what type of media they use. Do the Chinese have a FOX news, for example, or an X/Twitter site or an FR site?

[dfwgator]

Blaming TikTok is like blaming the gun.

[Angelino97]

Do the Chinese have a FOX news, for example, or an X/Twitter site or an FR site?

Apples and oranges.

Sure, China censors within China. But TikTok provides an additional means of uncensored communication in the West. That's a good thing.

China wants to know (or spy) on everything and every thought that Americans put forth.

Fine. What do I care if China monitors my thoughts? So does the U.S. government through American social media.

The difference is, China can't touch me. Can't deplatform me, or debank me, or try to ostracize me, or arrest me. The American government and tech oligarchs can.

I'd rather Chinese and American tech oligarchs each own some social media, than American tech oligarchs own all of social media.