I'm sorry but that argument doesn't make any sense. People watching Tik Tok are seeing content created in the US for the most part by US users. Are these US users spies who put information into their content to brainwash people?
Are movies made in China also going to be blocked from being seen?
Again, I don't care if its banned but the whole implanting of ideas seems a little far fetched to me. FaceBook and Google constantly lie about the data they collect and literally listen to you on their home enabled devices. But that is ok because they are American companies?
There are two possible general ways I’m aware of in which people can use a social media platform to purposely influence its users. One was what Russians did when they influenced the presidential election—creating networks of fake FB accounts to manufacture news and sentiments. The other is the company designing the algorithm to give more visibility and reward to certain types of content (and vice versa, censorship to undesirable content). This could be for the purpose of getting US citizens to think a certain way or value certain things that China would find strategically advantageous in either the near or long term. These are odd new ideas to think about because this has only become possible in recent years of history. I’m not saying it is definitely happening, but if these strategies are at all possible, it should be taken very very seriously and not hand-waved away like some people seem to be trying to do. There is too much at stake. If it is possible, some nation will try to exploit it, and there’s a decent chance that a nation as resourceful and motivated as China is already at it. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the US is at it as well.
This article actually alleges some exploits by Tik Tok’s parent company, as well as suggests possible future exploits that I never thought of:
Former TikTok employees say there is cause for concern when it comes to the popular social media app's Chinese parent company.
www.cnbc.com
The Chinese movie market is not big in the US. Also movies are a much more difficult tool for a government to utilize. Tik Tok is extremely influential and social media can be a much more sophisticated and powerful tool, especially for this day and age.
Again, I’m sure American companies use many of the same tactics, and that’s very bad, but the difference is they are just in it for money. They have no intention to put the US under the foot of another nation, nor are they under the compulsion of an authoritarian government that would love that. So the potential threat levels are very different.