US vs TikTok: The Politics of Data Privacy and Free Speech

Phone with the TikTok logo on it.
Photo by Olivier Bergeron on Unsplash
Published: 20 Jan, 2025
1 min read

At the time of this recording, a controversial law imposing heavy fines on companies providing access to TikTok was set to take effect, effectively banning the app for US users. In this episode, Dan and Shawn dive into the politics behind the TikTok ban, exploring whether it’s truly about national security or a form of protectionism benefiting Big Tech. They unpack why Congress ignored popular calls for meaningful data privacy regulation and discuss a new social media platform that could challenge the status quo.

You Might Also Like

Military uniform with an American flag over it.
Can The Military Remain Apolitical?
Last week, Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the objections of state leaders, delivered a highly partisan speech to uniformed troops at Fort Bragg, and held a military parade in Washington, D.C. on his birthday....
16 Jun, 2025
-
1 min read
A donkey reading a book titled How to Talk to Men.
The Politics of Pandering: From Blockades to Bro-Outreach
Last week, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, who led a one-man blockade preventing military promotions under the Biden Administration, announced he would not be seeking reelection. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats launched a $20 million campaign to learn how to talk to men....
02 Jun, 2025
-
1 min read
Presidential podium set up in White House.
Presidential Health: Who Determines When a President Is Unfit to Serve?
In this episode, Dan and Shawn examine how the system let this happen, how similar failures have played out in American history, and what it says about a two-party structure that forces voters to choose between different flavors of dysfunction, rather than ensuring effective governance....
20 May, 2025
-
1 min read
The American River
Josh Hoover’s Test as a Moderate Republican: Can He Win Independent Voters Again?
The American River connects the cities of Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and Citrus Heights, forming the core of California’s 7th Assembly District, which also includes the unincorporated communities of McClellan Park, North Highlands, Foothill Farms, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, Gold River, Rosemont, Mather, and most of Carmichael. The district lies entirely within Sacramento County....
06 Jan, 2026
-
9 min read
hand putting ballot in box.
A Million Californians Sign On to Voter ID – Forcing a 2026 Ballot Fight
California Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s Reform California, which has proposed amending the California Constitution with a voter ID ballot measure, says it has crossed a major threshold going into 2026 – and it is not slowing down....
05 Jan, 2026
-
3 min read
Tim Walz
With Tim Walz Out, Is Minnesota Ripe for The Next Jesse Ventura?
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat and Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election that Donald J. Trump ultimately won, announced January 5 that he will not seek a third term in 2026. ...
05 Jan, 2026
-
2 min read