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Decoder · January 15, 2025 · 65m

The TikTok Ban and the Future of Platform Regulation

The Supreme Court hears arguments on the TikTok ban. Patel analyzes the legal, technological, and geopolitical dimensions of the most significant platform regulation case in US history.

Canon

Banning or regulating TikTok is fundamentally an attempt to redesign the information environment. The question is whether government should design the information environment or leave it to market forces.
TikTok's recommendation algorithm accelerates the falsehood-spreads-faster dynamic by optimizing for engagement rather than accuracy, surfacing emotionally compelling content regardless of veracity.