logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
38m 28s

Drum Tower: Tick tock for TikTok

The Economist
About this episode

On March 13th America’s House of Representatives passed a bill that could ban TikTok nationwide unless its Chinese owner, Bytedance, agrees to sell its stake. 


Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent, and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, look at China’s side of the story. Joined by Don Weinland, our China business and finance editor, they ask: does Chinese ownership of TikTok really pose a threat to America?


Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+


For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Silver-year strongman: 25 years of Narendra Modi
We examine the record of the man at the helm of India’s government. As protests pose a fresh threat, where will he take the country next? From New Hampshire to Virginia, our American-midterms series takes you to the races you might be missing. And the life of Winston Churchill’s ... Show More
27m 50s
Oct 29
Effective non-altruism: Elon Musk’s foundation
The world’s richest person does not say much nice about philanthropy, and his foundation does not say much about itself. Our correspondent digs deeper. The next stop for our midterm-elections series is Kansas, where a Republican-seeming Democrat has an unlikely shot at the Senate ... Show More
23m 2s
Oct 28
Bye bye Bibi? Israel’s election results
Binyamin Netanyahu has underperformed but so has his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot. Who will form a government? We decipher what the messy results mean for Israel. Our American-midterms series heads south to Georgia. And how film critics and audiences have agreed to disagree.Guest ... Show More
21m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
MM145: Is TikTok Getting Banned and ByteDance's Next Moves
<p>The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would require the TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the social media platform or face a total ban in the United States.</p><br><p>In this episode, we delve into the intricate web of national security implications, asses ... Show More
32m 19s
Apr 2024
TikTok might get banned. For real this time.
tail spinning
23m 38s
Apr 2024
TikTok and its possible US ban - here’s what happens next…
Only two months ago Joe Biden joined the social media platform TikTok with a video captioned "lol hey guys". Now, the US president is poised to sign a bill that could ban the popular app - unless its parent company sells it.  <br />  <br />The country is concerned that TikTok's o ... Show More
20m 26s
Mar 2024
America’s love-hate relationship with Tik Tok
US intelligence says China may use Tik Tok to interfere in the presidential election. Now Washington is debating a bill that would force the app’s Chinese owners to sell up, even as politicians like Joe Biden use Tik Tok as a campaign tool. So, how might Beijing use social media ... Show More
24m 22s