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WeChat (a far more pernicious threat) was also in the crosshairs but then they just forgot about it. This is all just a performance to make a show of "doing something". Domestic companies are doing the same manipulative invasion as the Chinese apps. Any regulation would hurt the surveillance capitalism business model.

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No, you see, WeChat isn't taking marketshare from Facebook and Google, which is why no-one is paying politicians to be upset about it.

WeChat is almost entirely used by Chinese people. It doesn't have broad penetration in the US unlike TikTok.

I think that threat was more specific to Chinese-Americans who use the app to stay in touch with family

That doesn't sound like something that powerful US corporations are that worried about so I'm surprised we talked about it at all.

It's a national security threat. WeChat is used to manipulate Chinese Americans in sensitive positions.

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