This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
Microsoft's interest in acquiring TikTok's US operations has sparked debate about the potential risks and benefits of the deal. While the company has assured users that information collected from TikTok would be kept in the United States, and data housed elsewhere would be deleted, this may not be enough to protect users.
As seen with Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, even with artificial intelligence software and thousands of content moderators, dangerous content inevitably slips through. A recent video spreading bogus claims about the value of using hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 racked up millions of views on these platforms before being taken down.
Microsoft's experience in social media is limited, having acquired LinkedIn for $26 billion in 2016. If the company is successful in acquiring TikTok's US operations, it should immediately beef up TikTok's policies with a clear, aggressive code of conduct and then enforce that policy.
However, as seen with YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, Microsoft would face significant criticism from both sides of the political aisle about unevenly enforced policies. Does the company have the wherewithal to ramp up content removal or blocking of users when it might anger a key political or business ally?
There are also serious matters of international diplomacy to consider in this deal, including the concern that the Chinese government may collect and analyze the reams of data that TikTok culls from its users. In the United States, senators, Mr. Trump's cabinet, and Amazon have developed a mistrust of the service.
