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I suspect that Microsoft wants to buy TikTok as a favor to the US Government. I view this as possibly a repeat of Ebay/Microsoft buying Skype as a favor to t

I suspect that Microsoft wants to buy TikTok as a favor to the US Government. I view this as possibly a repeat of Ebay/Microsoft buying Skype as a favor to the US Government. If moderating TikTok is too much of a hassle, they'll probably just mismanage it into irrelevancy (having already accomplished their primary objective of satisfying the American government that TikTok isn't a threat to American interests (either commercial or national security.))

gowld 6y ago
I don't understand the negative response to this comment which is just summarizing the US Government's official public statements on the matter. Trump Admin doesn't want Chinese companies dominating US commerce or exfiltrating data, or at least wants to be seen as wanting that.
- elliekelly 6y ago
  I understand (and even support) the government not wanting foreign companies exfiltrating data for national security reasons. But why this one specific company? Why only the Chinese government? Why now? Why not address the wider problem and protect all of our data from exfiltration by all foreign companies? Or regulate and monitor companies that do? I’ve never used TikTok and I’m really not a fan of any social media company but the way this whole situation is being handled feels decidedly un-American and frankly unfair to TikTok/ByteDance.
  - JungleGymSam 6y ago
    Because China is a big threat to our future security and economy and there are ongoing and historical issues that have never been addressed? They are a human rights nightmare? Why do people side with China so easily?
    - elliekelly 6y ago
      I’m not “siding with China” I’m siding with due process and fair and consistent application of the law. If China is a major threat why isn’t the government forcing Tencent, Alibaba, and Huawei to spin-off and sell their American operations to US companies, too? Tencent has to have just as much data as ByteDance. Probably more. And their relationship with the Chinese government and willingness to assist in Chinese government surveillance is well documented. Better than any rumored evidence against TikTok. I’m not saying TikTok should be allowed. I’m just wondering why, if Chinese surveillance is such a clear and present danger to our national security, we’re only talking about TikTok. I’m suspicious of any government action in the name of “national security” and I’m infinitely more suspicious when that action is specifically targeted without any logic or reason that can be articulated beyond “national security”. And not once have human rights been mentioned with respect to TikTok so we both know that has nothing at all to do with it.
  - newacct583 6y ago
    To be perfectly serious: because Donald Trump is mad at Tik Tok because he thinks kids on that platform pranked his rally last month by "buying up all the tickets" and leaving empty seats.
    - disgruntledphd2 6y ago
      I'm a little terrified that this may be true.
lawnchair_larry 6y ago
They didn’t buy Skype as a favor to the US government. You would need a truly warped understanding of business to entertain this thought.
- cbkeller 6y ago
  "Favor" is the wrong word, but only because that implies a lack of payment. Quoting from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18411779 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18411779 : > 2009 - NSA offering 'billions' for Skype eavesdrop solution [1] > 2011 - Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5 billion. Why, exactly? [2] > 2012 - Skype replaces P2P supernodes with Linux boxes hosted by Microsoft [3] > 2013 - Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages Subhead: Skype worked to enable Prism collection of video calls [4] > 1. https://www.theregister.com/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_for_skype_pwnage/ https://www.theregister.com/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_f... > 2. https://www.wired.com/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/ https://www.wired.com/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/ > 3. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/skype-replaces-p2p-supernodes-with-linux-boxes-hosted-by-microsoft/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/skype... > 4. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-...
  - lawnchair_larry 6y ago
    None of that supports the claim that Microsoft bought skype as a favor to the US government. It’s mostly a bunch of silly conjecture. Removal of supernodes does make it easier to intercept, sure, but that doesn’t mean it was the motivation for that change, and it definitely doesn’t mean it was tied to requests by a government. Now that they have the capability, they would have to comply with court orders, like every other communications company based in the US.
- catalogia 6y ago
  Frankly I think you're naive, unless you're getting hung up on "favor." If you expect me to believe that Microsoft would never cooperate with the American government like this, you'll have to do better than name calling.

gowld 6y ago

I don't understand the negative response to this comment which is just summarizing the US Government's official public statements on the matter. Trump Admin doesn't want Chinese companies dominating US commerce or exfiltrating data, or at least wants to be seen as wanting that.

elliekelly 6y ago
I understand (and even support) the government not wanting foreign companies exfiltrating data for national security reasons. But why this one specific company? Why only the Chinese government? Why now? Why not address the wider problem and protect all of our data from exfiltration by all foreign companies? Or regulate and monitor companies that do? I’ve never used TikTok and I’m really not a fan of any social media company but the way this whole situation is being handled feels decidedly un-American and frankly unfair to TikTok/ByteDance.
- JungleGymSam 6y ago
  Because China is a big threat to our future security and economy and there are ongoing and historical issues that have never been addressed? They are a human rights nightmare? Why do people side with China so easily?
  - elliekelly 6y ago
    I’m not “siding with China” I’m siding with due process and fair and consistent application of the law. If China is a major threat why isn’t the government forcing Tencent, Alibaba, and Huawei to spin-off and sell their American operations to US companies, too? Tencent has to have just as much data as ByteDance. Probably more. And their relationship with the Chinese government and willingness to assist in Chinese government surveillance is well documented. Better than any rumored evidence against TikTok. I’m not saying TikTok should be allowed. I’m just wondering why, if Chinese surveillance is such a clear and present danger to our national security, we’re only talking about TikTok. I’m suspicious of any government action in the name of “national security” and I’m infinitely more suspicious when that action is specifically targeted without any logic or reason that can be articulated beyond “national security”. And not once have human rights been mentioned with respect to TikTok so we both know that has nothing at all to do with it.
- newacct583 6y ago
  To be perfectly serious: because Donald Trump is mad at Tik Tok because he thinks kids on that platform pranked his rally last month by "buying up all the tickets" and leaving empty seats.
  - disgruntledphd2 6y ago
    I'm a little terrified that this may be true.

lawnchair_larry 6y ago

They didn’t buy Skype as a favor to the US government. You would need a truly warped understanding of business to entertain this thought.

cbkeller 6y ago
"Favor" is the wrong word, but only because that implies a lack of payment. Quoting from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18411779 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18411779 : > 2009 - NSA offering 'billions' for Skype eavesdrop solution [1] > 2011 - Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5 billion. Why, exactly? [2] > 2012 - Skype replaces P2P supernodes with Linux boxes hosted by Microsoft [3] > 2013 - Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages Subhead: Skype worked to enable Prism collection of video calls [4] > 1. https://www.theregister.com/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_for_skype_pwnage/ https://www.theregister.com/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_f... > 2. https://www.wired.com/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/ https://www.wired.com/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/ > 3. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/skype-replaces-p2p-supernodes-with-linux-boxes-hosted-by-microsoft/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/skype... > 4. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-...
- lawnchair_larry 6y ago
  None of that supports the claim that Microsoft bought skype as a favor to the US government. It’s mostly a bunch of silly conjecture. Removal of supernodes does make it easier to intercept, sure, but that doesn’t mean it was the motivation for that change, and it definitely doesn’t mean it was tied to requests by a government. Now that they have the capability, they would have to comply with court orders, like every other communications company based in the US.
catalogia 6y ago
Frankly I think you're naive, unless you're getting hung up on "favor." If you expect me to believe that Microsoft would never cooperate with the American government like this, you'll have to do better than name calling.