Gained’t anyone please consider the youngsters?
President Trump will reprieve TikTok a 3rd time, regardless of issues about safety, press freedom and youngster security. The White Home says he’ll signal one more government order stopping enforcement of PAFACA—the Defending People from Overseas Adversary Managed Functions Act.
As you would possibly keep in mind, he first did this method again in January. In in the present day’s SB Blogwatch, we flip the web page for you.
Your humble weblogwatcher curated these bloggy bits in your entertainment. To not point out: Is that this even actual?.
PAFACA Pause Persists
What’s the craic? Aamer Madhani reviews: Trump will signal an order extending deadline for TikTok’s Chinese language proprietor to promote app
“Would be the third time”
President Donald Trump will … lengthen a deadline for TikTok’s Chinese language proprietor to divest the favored video sharing app. … “As he has stated many instances, President Trump doesn’t need TikTok to go darkish,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated.
…
Will probably be the third time Trump has prolonged the deadline. … It’s not clear what number of instances Trump can … maintain extending the ban as the federal government continues to attempt to negotiate a deal for TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance. Trump has amassed greater than 15 million followers on TikTok since he joined final yr, and he has credited the trendsetting platform with serving to him achieve traction amongst younger voters.
Context? Natalie Daher, Sareen Habeshian and Maria Curi: Trump to delay ban on TikTok once more
“Herculean process”
The youth can rejoice. … The wildly in style video app lives to combat one other day.
…
Endurance on the Hill has been carrying skinny as Trump prepares to delay a ban on TikTok for the third time. Every time the White Home delays enforcement of the TikTok ban, Republicans’ nationwide safety issues are undermined.
…
U.S. bidders are prepared to leap on a deal, however getting China on board continues to be a Herculean process. TikTok’s highly effective algorithm … is what makes the app so in style and what China cares most about.
However why? And why now? Prof. Shweta Singh opines thuswise: The forefront of a deeper geopolitical pattern
“The way forward for the web”
What began as an issue over knowledge privateness now has world implications. This battle is about extra than simply an app. It represents a shift within the steadiness of digital energy — one that might redefine how nations view nationwide safety, financial sovereignty and the web itself.
…
I see TikTok because the flashpoint of a broader, extra harmful pattern. Digital areas have gotten battlefronts for geopolitical affect. TikTok has advanced from a social media app to – within the eyes of some policymakers – a digital weapon. Its … ultra-addictive content material stream … offers TikTok an virtually unprecedented energy to form opinions. … Customers can discover themselves pulled deeper into curated content material streams with out realising the extent to which their preferences are being formed. … This can be a potent device on the earth of digital politics.
…
There are three potential outcomes for TikTok:
— The primary is a compelled sale to a US-based entity, … doubtless provok[ing] extreme retaliation from China.
— The second is a ban, which can be extra symbolic than efficient, however would ship a powerful message.
— The third, and maybe most probably, is a protracted, drawn-out authorized battle. …
The battle over TikTok is a harbinger of deeper tensions round how knowledge, affect and belief are distributed on-line. … It’s a defining second within the battle for the way forward for the web.
Did you say a third time? Ivan Mehta reminds us of the timeline: Yet one more extension
— In January, the U.S. Supreme Courtroom upheld the legislation to ban TikTok, leading to app shops and repair suppliers pulling assist for the app within the U.S.
— Just some days after taking workplace, Trump signed an government order to delay the ban to discover a cope with Bytedance to divest its U.S. enterprise.
— On April 4, he issued one other extension of 75 days to maintain the brief video app up and operating, [which] was set to run out on Thursday.
How is that this collection of extensions even attainable? localzuk thinks it “reveals one other flaw:”
The precise legislation that was handed solely allowed a single 90 day extension. So, how precisely is Trump, who is meant to function in line with the legislation, capable of lengthen it repeatedly? The reply is solely that it’d be Trump that must implement the legislation through his administration. So, there’s no precise limitation on how the President and his government function. Congress is seemingly superfluous.
Huh? innocent_white_lamb places it one other method:
There’s a legislation that claims TikTok have to be divested by a sure date. … Trump simply says we gained’t implement it till a date additional sooner or later.
…
So the present scenario is that TikTok is in violation of the legislation (and has been for the previous a number of months). If I have been of their place I might be contemplating going for some type of an estoppel order to completely void the legislation because it’s being (not) enforced. … Does that sound like a legislation worthy of respect by anybody in any respect?
Is there a intelligent technique right here? u/trainsaw wonders aloud:
I believe he’s gonna attempt to make it a marketing campaign challenge once more, to swing voters throughout midterms. He is aware of persons are addicted and mainly has a military of influencers on there going to the mat for him to maintain their cash stream.
However Dinanziame sees the irony:
What’s humorous is that he’s the one who initially began the campaign in opposition to TikTok, as a result of teenagers allegedly used it to coordinate protest actions in opposition to him.
What about different social media properties? TikTok is the incorrect goal, thinks AmiMoJo:
I’m far more involved about having Twitter divested from Elon Musk … and having Fb shut down totally resulting from rampant misinformation, scams, and international agitator accounts posing as People. I usually wouldn’t advocate for a service to be closed, however Fb has been unable to cease that stuff for over a decade now. Can’t even promote it off as a result of the following capitalist will probably be motivated by the identical engagement metrics.
In the meantime, u/Realistic_Head3595 yearns for easier instances:
Bear in mind once they advised us TikTok was a hazard to American safety?🥴
And Lastly:
Hat tip: Pompey Monkey
You will have been studying SB Blogwatch by Richi Jennings. Richi curates the very best bloggy bits, most interesting boards, and peculiarest netwebsites—so that you don’t should. Hate mail could also be directed to @RiCHi, @richij, @[email protected], @richi.bsky.social or [email protected]. Ask your physician earlier than studying. Your mileage might differ. Previous performance isn’t any guarantee of future outcomes. Don’t stare into laser with remaining eye. E&OE. 30.
Picture sauce: Eyestetix Studio (through Unsplash; leveled and cropped)