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TikTok Ban… Is This Happening?

TikTok isn’t just another app.

It’s a cultural movement, an economic powerhouse, and – depending on who you ask – a national security threat.
But what happens when a platform with 170 million U.S. users finds itself at the center of a political firestorm?
For years, TikTok has been the poster child of the social media age – fueled by dance trends, viral challenges, and hyper-addictive algorithms.
But beneath the surface lies a deeper, more complex story.

And it’s all about attention and data (isn’t it always?).

Lawmakers in the U.S. have been warning about TikTok’s ties to China for years.
Under Chinese national security laws, companies are required to share data if the government asks for it.
For politicians, the possibility of that happening was enough to act.
In 2020, then-President Donald Trump called for a ban on TikTok.
Fast forward to 2024, and the Biden administration has continued the fight – resulting in a bipartisan law demanding that ByteDance sell TikTok or face a U.S. ban.
TikTok isn’t alone in collecting and monetizing user data – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Google all play the same game.

Social media has always been a massive data operation driven by attention.

So, why single out TikTok, while other tech leaders are now cozying up to Trump and his adminisatration?
Critics argue it’s also about power – control over who owns the digital stage.
I think it’s less about power and money and much more about attention.
And, the attention that the current administration got from TikTok and the youth voice during the last election cycle cannot be diminished.

For millions of young Americans, TikTok isn’t just an app – it’s the app.

It’s where they get their news, learn about the world, and shape their opinions.
This is what makes TikTok so powerful as an attention machine and cultural tastemaker.
Algorithms on the platform can amplify content, shape narratives, and influence culture.

The TikTok saga is far from over.

Even as lawmakers push for a ban, TikTok remains deeply embedded in American culture.
One thing’s for sure: this isn’t just about TikTok.
It’s about how we navigate the digital age – who controls the platforms, who owns the data, and what price we’re willing to pay for all of that attention.
Because at the end of the day, TikTok isn’t just an app.
It’s a mirror reflecting the best and worst of the internet age.

And right now, that mirror is cracking under fire – from all sides.

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · TikTok Ban… Is This Happening?

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Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.