The titular claim is not the problem. The problem is that an open internet is incompatible with [the politics of] the world we live in. In that world, state a

The titular claim is not the problem. The problem is that an open internet is incompatible with [the politics of] the world we live in. In that world, state and other actors seek to use contemporary surveillance data to drive sentiment and behavior in targeted populations. To put it directly, we (the US) are engaged in memetic warfare both internally and externally. Tik Tok is correctly being singled out as a singularly powerful platform for surveillance of and control of Americans by a state rival. Should we come to war (e.g. over Taiwan) hot or cold, it's not viable to have a Tik Tok and its well-publicized ability to determine what goes viral, in the hands of the foe. This is at heart a conflict between aspirational principles which are incompatible with the reality of human nature and the tools we have built as force multipliers. This is unfortunate. Much is.