Trump, TikTok, and Control of the Information Space

Matt Slocum/AP

Last night, TikTok abruptly stopped working for its 170 million American users, just hours before a law shutting it down on national security grounds was set to take effect. U.S. officials had long raised alarms about the potential threat to Americans' data under TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, citing concerns about privacy and espionage. Notably, Congress had overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation last year to force TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its stake in the app or face expulsion from the U.S. market.

Yet on Sunday, Trump announced he would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”

But let’s be clear: Trump couldn’t care less about national security.

This isn’t about protecting Americans from foreign surveillance or safeguarding their data. This is about weaponizing yet another platform to control the information space, targeting the youth to consolidate his grip on power.

And let’s not overlook China’s calculated role in doing Trump a favor by casting him as a savior—as they delivered an ad to its 170 million users. Before TikTok was restored, the platform posted a carefully crafted message portraying Trump as the hero poised to rescue the app.

TikTok, with its enormous influence over younger people, presents a golden opportunity to shape narratives, manipulate opinions, and curate content to push MAGA's political and societal agenda. Trump’s sudden embrace of TikTok, after pushing for its shutdown during his time in office, reveals his recognition of the platform’s power during the election. Now, he sees TikTok as a key tool to target young people to secure his political future and advance the MAGA movement.

This mirrors tactics used in Russia, and other authoritarian regimes, where the younger generation is a primary target for propaganda and brainwashing to secure long-term power and control. Just as Russia grooms youth from a very early age to support state propaganda, Trump is leveraging TikTok to shape the next generation’s views and align them with his political agenda.

In Russia, propaganda begins at a young age. Children are immersed in Kremlin messaging through state-controlled education systems and a network of organizations designed to instill loyalty to the state and regime. This early indoctrination shapes their worldview, ensuring allegiance to the state from the outset. By the time they become adults, many have internalized the narratives necessary to perpetuate authoritarian rule.

Trump’s “deal” to keep TikTok operational in the U.S. is a clear part of a larger strategy. It’s not about data security or protecting Americans—it’s about transforming TikTok into a weapon for propaganda and the spread of disinformation. With the right controls, Trump’s allies will use TikTok to promote his policies, target his opponents, and spread divisive rhetoric. With X and Meta under his influence, TikTok will be under Trump's control—as part of his agenda of controlling the information space

And let’s not forget TikTok’s role in election interference. In Romania, Russia used TikTok to push a Kremlin-backed candidate, saturating the platform with manipulative content designed to appeal to young voters. The interference was so blatant that the Romanian Supreme Court annulled the election results.

China’s decision to hand Trump a lifeline by keeping TikTok alive in the U.S. isn’t a coincidence. This so-called “rescue” isn’t about freedom or small businesses—it’s about using TikTok’s massive reach to reshape American society in Trump’s image. And what will China get in return?

Trump and his regime will do everything to secure control over the information space, including social media platforms and legacy media. Their ultimate goal is to dominate the flow of information, delivering the narrative and propaganda they choose, while actively working to rewrite not just history and truth, but reality itself. Propaganda isn’t just about shaping opinions; it’s about creating an alternative reality that keeps people compliant and obedient. This manipulation goes beyond controlling facts—it seeks to redefine what people believe to be true, distorting the very fabric of reality.

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