This was interesting. I am a qualified no; I think some of the concerns about digital sovereignty in different countries is helped by federation, but I don't know how the specific issue of a Chinese company that serves US user generated content to US audiences fits in there.
I do think that Tiktok should probably spend the next month getting US audiences to install their PWA, and improve its interface.
@evan Extremely qualified yes: if it can figure out how to do decentralized music licensing. TikTok is dead without music.
What are some solutions to the sync music licensing problem of the social web? Here are my top 3 ideas: 1. Change the law 2. Add a new license type and try to get rights holders to use it 3. Start a company Let’s explore them…
@adiz @evan I’m not sure if that is a serious suggestion or not, but I am willing to engage if so.
I like musicians being able to earn a living from their music.
Creators should receive economic benefit from their creations and other creators should be able to build upon cultural works permissively.
I think there is a balance that can be created by updating copyright law, as it has been done with every new medium and business model since copyright’s invention.
@evan That would be a good solution and a potential future implementation, but unfortunately not compatible with the present state of copyright law and music licensing.
The Big 3 Labels consider any programmatic playback control based on a timed event from other media as a use case that requires a sync license. Streaming services must inhibit the ability for a user to do this in order to comply with their licensing agreements with The Big 3 Labels and not risk losing catalog access.
@evan I think the problem isn't so much 'tiktok as a company' and more 'tiktok as the boogie man that politicians have built up'.
If politicians were to backdown in any form, they are likely going to appear weak. They essentially need to be seen to be winning against 'The Great China'
If federation is to work, it can't be until after it is sold.
@evan that'd be great, but it wouldn't be tik tok would it?
Their algos are part of the success, you don't get that with federation.
Federation can save short form video, if it gets adoption, but tiktok is getting shot by the firing squad just like vine did.
Save it from what @evan?
Yes I know you want that to be defined by people responding. So, my definition of "save TikTok" is "save TikTok from being inherently user-hostile":
No, federation cannot do that. The only way to save TikTok from enshittification is to forcibly remove the incentives to engagement and growth, and instead regulate it as a public service for social good.
Oh look, that also applies to every other #BigTech corporation.
@evan Tik Tok's weakness isn't the lack of being distributed... That's actually its strength. The only way it can operate profitably while paying for so much bandwidth is its Iron Grip on the algorithm.
It needs to parlay ad dollars into eyeballs. Especially to be free. If we federate the data, you distribute the costs, but you kill the way those costs are paid.
I think a federated version could exist (Loops), but the key differentiation would be governance and funding. Not "federate Tik Tok"
@gatesvp so, you're aware that Tiktok is either going to be sold in the US or the Tiktok app will no longer be available in US app stores?
@evan oh yeah, I'm totally aware of them impending sale / removal.
I'm just saying that federation won't enable it (or some replacement) to continue operating in some capacity.
It has a very specific business model and I think it's part of the reason it doesn't have an obvious US buyer. I would much rather see something like Loops or Pixelfed succeed on the back of a community that actually wants to pay for it to exist.
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