More than 150 million
Americans are now using TikTok.
The company made that announcemt
just hours ago as efforts are
underway to potentially ban it.
Joining us now to talk more
about the controversy about uses
need to know as David Rickley.
He is the owner and the CEO
of Social Media marketing
company called STN Digital,
also the host of the Business Social Podcast.
David, welcome to the Ford.
Thanks so much for having me. Appreciate it.
Let's just take a a 30 second trip down
memory lane I remember during the Trump
administration he was talking a.
Scanning it and now it appears
that that's making a resurgence
with the Biden administration.
Yeah. So during Trump's administration,
he threatened to ban both.
We chat and TikTok. You know,
what happened was they said you have to
sell off the US portion of your company
and they sold to Oracle and Wal.
Microsoft was in the bidding as well.
And there was a lot of legal
battles and basically when the
administration turned over,
you know, it kind of like stall.
So tick Tock was not needed
to sell at that time.
But I think once Biden came in
and now that they're talking moe
about it and as it's grown, rig,
it's so successful in the US.
Now there's a lot of a lot of talk about
it. Why so much focus on TikTokr
people who are not familiar with
the story compared to other soc?
Well if you think about it,
if you look at the history of sl
media going all the way back to
Myspace and then obviously Twit,
Facebook, Instagram, these are all US
based companies with US based C.
No social platform has ever hads
type of success in the United States with
a Beijing based China based platform.
So 150 million active US users,
5,000,000 businesses are on Tik.
So no every social media company
that's had success so far.
Has been domestically and this is kind
of new territory for the US government
and and let's talk about this fa
moment because the banning of TikTok.
Yes we can understand why diffet
government agencies have said dt
download that app on a government device
but a universal ban across the country
affecting every average Joe out there.
What could potentially
happen if you're on TikTok?
What's the big scare about.
Yeah, I do think you know theres
in my opinion there's not going
to be an outright ban like you
mentioned the government part
of it makes a lot of sense.
But what I think is ultimately
going to happen.
Is the US will say you're either
sell the US part of your company
because we don't maybe trust or
there's a fear of what if the Chinese
Government requested data from TikTok
and they had to turn that over.
So I really think what happenedk
in 2020 will probably happen ag.
Biden and the administration has
said as much where listen you he
to sell the US part of your comy
because at least we then know tt
the US data is secure domesticay
here in the United States.
So when people say be careful
your data is on TikTok and
this could potentially end up.
In the hands of the Chinese Government,
what data are we talking
about for individuals?
Maybe people don't realize whats
on their phone that could end
up. Yeah. I mean I think listen
I'm not a cyber security expert,
but it really is the same for
all social media networks where
they have access to our data.
And ultimately with I think the biggest
difference here is the fact that they are
from China or it's it's a Beijing base.
So in in my personal opinion tht
that's the biggest difference h,
the fear of the unknown and I'll personally
say I have friends that talk colleagues,
these are great people.
7000 United States, tick tock.
Case workers this is not some ominous
headquartered based only in Bei.
This is actually an American
based company as well.
So you know this Thursday the CO
will address Congress he'll try
to answer some of those concerns
and what they're doing on the
data side to just make sure the
security and that's not a threa.
OK. So in your opinion though yu
don't see an outright national n
you see the potential for this t
least the US portion to be sold.
Yeah because I mean listen TikTok is worth
estimates sixty $70 billion gloy
has over a billion users this i.
The social network that's really
other than Facebook and Instagrm
and YouTube the you know has the most
users than any other social platforms.
So if the US portion had to be sold off
I'm I'm guessing I'm not an economist,
but ten $20 billion.
So rather than tick Tock sayingK
we'll take our ball and go home.
I do think they'll take that prt
if it was forcibly sold. Alrigh.
We'll see what happens next.
Thank you. Thank you for coming.
Of course a little bit of clarification
about this because we hear this in the
headlines but what this actually means
for American users thanks for sort of.
Digging in the dirt, of course,
absolutely anytime. Alright.
David Brickley, CEO of STN Digil
base right here in San Diego.
David, thanks. Thank you, Carla.