TikTok is good for Trump, and for one simple reason: It is a maelstrom of disinformation so gargantuan that even Elon Musk-controlled Twitter fails to compete. It's a train wreck of B.S., from people claiming sunscreen and vaccines don't work to bizarre videos claiming demons infect everything to old-fashioned authoritarian lies. The company claims to stand for "free speech," but the Chinese government censors information that doesn't serve its political goals. The algorithm is hidden from public view, but it's easy to see it favors divisive, emotionally manipulative and misleading information. It ratchets up culture war tensions and stokes arguments while undermining people's mental ability to focus on developing solutions. Hundreds of millions of people willingly plug into an app that feeds them the demoralizing propaganda authoritarians have been trying to shove down our throats forever. It's a fascist's dream.
-Amanda Marcotte in Salon.com
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