Tik for Tok
- Waadl Cartoonist
- Jan 28
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 9
Drawn on January 23, 2025 | Published from Paris
While interfering in the policies of private companies isn’t the most desirably liberal way to grapple with rogue enterprises, it becomes necessary when they abuse human rights. The major national security risk posed by social media’s sensationalist incentive to misinform — along with the rise of AI botting and the imperialist declarations of the world’s largest technology power brokers [more here] — has undeniably crossed the line into meddling with the protection of our liberties and must be regulated without hesitation.
Freedom of speech becomes a burden when its values are abused.
Bluntly put, platforms like TikTok, Instagram (at Meta), Truth Social, and X (formerly known as Twitter) have overstepped their bounds. Even in matters of national security, it’s galling that friend of the show Donald Trump — whether to earn political clout or to delay a potential purchase of yet another lying app [1] — seems all too willing to cave to the temper tantrums of social media addicts, despite the obvious risks involved [2].
In some cases, lex talionis — an eye for an eye — should serve as a guiding principle when addressing the most severe threats to national security. TikTok collects data and disseminates lies 24/7 throughout every corner of the American continent. So, if China deems it necessary to block Google, then the U.S. should be equally prepared to impose reciprocal measures against East Asia's most popular social spreader of falsehoods.
[1] Holland, S. and Singh, K. (2025) Trump says he is open to musk buying TikTok if Tesla CEO wants to do so | Reuters, Reuters.com. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/technology/trump-says-he-is-open-musk-buying-tiktok-if-tesla-ceo-wants-do-so-2025-01-21/ (Accessed: 23 January 2025).
[2] Shepardson, D. (2025) TikTok restores US service after Trump says “we have to save it” | reuters, Reuters.com. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/technology/tiktok-goes-dark-us-users-trump-says-save-tiktok-2025-01-19/ (Accessed: 23 January 2025).
