Donald Trump: What's behind the attack on Tiktok?

For years now, the Internet is divided between China and the West, but so considerably, the separation was never as it is now, as America's President, Donald Trump has announced a ban on the Chinese Video App Tiktok. From the United States, banish, he'll Tiktok, he said to journalists, even on Saturday. The exact prohibition of the text is still there, but one has to Trump clear: this is Not a sale to an American company going to appease him.

Patrick Bernau

editor responsible for the economy and the "money & More" the Frankfurt General Sunday newspaper.

Tiktok is strategically not so important as the network equipment supplier Huawei, the devices for fast phone delivers networks. But Tiktok was the first company from China, which has acquired in the West, cultural significance. It all started with an App called "Musical.ly“, founded in Shanghai, and in Germany, with four million users, which was taken over by the Chinese group byte dance, and the sticking of the App the own brand name of Tiktok. Initially, it was to short Videos to music, lip-synchronous Singing and a little Dancing. In the meantime, the Videos are always creative, entertaining and elaborate to become. Spectacular Stunts are to be seen, small jokes and surprising video tricks. Sometimes many hours of work put in in just a few seconds short video. And sometimes, Dieter Bohlen only shows how he is Paddling falls when you Stand up fully clothed into the water.

The draws according to industry estimates, on a monthly basis, approximately one billion users, especially Teenagers, overall, the App was already two billion Times downloaded – quantities, which are otherwise only pre-installed Apps from Apple and Google or the Apps from the Facebook group, for example, Whatsapp and Instagram. Three billion dollars in sales of the parent company byte dance power. In the United States alone on a monthly basis 100 million users will be active – almost a third of the population.

never a Chinese group was in the Western culture so successful

As many a Teenager has previously thrilled even not a Chinese company. While Internet companies such as Alibaba, Tencent or Baidu to be the most valuable corporations in the world. The payment system of the Messaging App Wechat is so successful that even European traders have to use it, if you want to have Chinese tourists as customers, but more importance has been achieved by the Chinese corporations in the West, so far none. Occasionally, the Online retailer Alibaba is trying to gain a foothold in Europe – so far, however, with at best moderate success.

On Tiktok can take place, however, in the meantime, political campaigns. Famous for a Video in which a 17-denounced Year after a few sentences about make-up tips, the situation of the Uighurs in China. Their access was soon deleted. Tiktok apologized, because a human error had occurred, and turned them free. However, it is not only against the Chinese government. In America, Tiktok users agreed to reserve Tickets for an event by Donald Trump and let them expire. Trumps staff said they would get a Million reservations – in fact, only 6000 spectators came.