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A wrap of my TikTok columns:
1. TikTok-Microsoft Deal Might Solve Everything https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-31/tiktok-microsoft-deal-makes-sense-for-all-even-trump?sref=cSRHqDay
2. Ban Would Leave Giant Social-Media Hole https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-22/tiktok-ban-would-leave-hole-instagram-youtube-can-t-easily-fill?sref=cSRHqDay
3. What TikTok Needs to Do https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-10/tiktok-amazon-ban-scare-u-s-threats-show-need-for-response?sref=cSRHqDay
4. Trump's New Political Football https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-08/will-tiktok-be-banned-in-u-s-trump-needs-to-show-evidence?sref=cSRHqDay
1. TikTok-Microsoft Deal Might Solve Everything https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-31/tiktok-microsoft-deal-makes-sense-for-all-even-trump?sref=cSRHqDay
2. Ban Would Leave Giant Social-Media Hole https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-22/tiktok-ban-would-leave-hole-instagram-youtube-can-t-easily-fill?sref=cSRHqDay
3. What TikTok Needs to Do https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-10/tiktok-amazon-ban-scare-u-s-threats-show-need-for-response?sref=cSRHqDay
4. Trump's New Political Football https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-08/will-tiktok-be-banned-in-u-s-trump-needs-to-show-evidence?sref=cSRHqDay
"counter-intuitively this merger can make sense in terms of antitrust principles. A Microsoft-TikTok combination would create a much more competitive U.S. digital advertising market .. against the two dominant internet ad goliaths, Google parent Alphabet Inc. and Facebook Inc"
I also mentioned on @BloombergRadio this morning a TikTok-Microsoft combination would be a big competitor to Amazon's Twitch. TikTok creators already can get paid from their viewers for live-streaming, which is exactly Twitch's business model
TikTok is special. The app is built from the ground up with a different core focus, making it difficult for other competitors to get similar traction in short-form video https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-22/tiktok-ban-would-leave-hole-instagram-youtube-can-t-easily-fill?sref=cSRHqDay
Hence, the surging TikTok usage and the power move over the weekend when the company revealed 100 million Americans used the app, a figure MUCH HIGHER than analysts estimates of around 45 million
Talk for 9 minutes about the latest TikTok-Microsoft developments on @BloombergRadio Everything you need to know on this small story https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2020-08-03/how-a-tiktok-microsoft-deal-solves-a-lot-of-problems-radio?sref=cSRHqDay
Received report from Microsoft analyst, explains how she signed up for TikTok for first time and spent 15 min on app. Then gives her take on ad model. [me then checking my personal TikTok screentime for last week] - 9 hrs 22 min.
At least I'm domain knowledge expert vs analysts
At least I'm domain knowledge expert vs analysts
Written this repeatedly. Taking unilateral action without clear evidence or following due process, opens up can of worms: "China may retaliate by targeting American business interests on its soil or taking other measures that further inflame the situation" https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-31/tiktok-microsoft-deal-makes-sense-for-all-even-trump?sref=cSRHqDay
The list of unintended consequences is vast. The U.S. is playing with fire -> WSJ: "On Douyin, ... where videos commenting on a possible U.S. ban circulated widely, one popular comment suggested Huawei be allowed to buy Apple Inc.’s China operations." https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsofts-talks-to-buy-tiktoks-u-s-operations-raise-concerns-in-china-11596465664?mod=hp_lead_pos2
Administration has said one of the main reasons to ban TikTok is to retaliate against China for the virus. It's on the record. They aren't hiding this thought process at all. Is this ok? : https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-07/tiktok-touts-u-s-ties-after-pompeo-threatens-to-ban-social-app?sref=cSRHqDay
Great read "TikTok is, for many, including myself, the most entertaining short video app going ... How did an app designed by two guys in Shanghai managed to run circles around U.S. video apps" - @eugenewei https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2020/8/3/tiktok-and-the-sorting-hat
This sounds vaguely familiar "described the app as frighteningly addictive and the algorithm as eerily perceptive. ... said they had to delete the app off their phone ... because they were losing an hour or two every night just lying in bed watching videos." - @eugenewei
"Every Douyin feed I examined was distinctive. My friends all noted that after spending only a short amount of time in the app, it had locked onto their palate." - @eugenewei
Eugene agrees with me on Instagram: "Frankenstein of feeds and formats and functions spread across a somewhat confused constellation of apps." - @eugenewei
Bill Gates touches on many of the same points I've written about in my TikTok columns. He says: "Nice that TikTok has created some competition through innovation. It doesn't seem like preventing that innovation from being available ... [makes] sense." https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2020-08-05/bill-gates-says-tiktok-s-u-s-data-safe-with-microsoft-video?sref=cSRHqDay
Bill Gates: "Hopefully [TikTok] allowed to happen in some form .. What law? If this [ban reason] such a clear thing why wasn't it clear 3 months ago, 6 months ago? When people make investments, they should understand what's allowed ... don't understand what happened on Saturday."
