You may have heard that TikTok's chief executive, Zhou Shouzi, was questioned for more than five hours in the U.S. Congress and was forced to answer questions about TikTok and the Chinese government, user data, and children's mental health. The hearing is the latest move by the U.S. government to put pressure on TikTok to force its parent company, ByteDance, to sell or abandon its U.S. business.
As a short video app with more than 1 billion users worldwide, TikTok is undoubtedly one of the most successful cases of Chinese Internet companies going global. With its innovative algorithms, diverse content and active community, it has attracted the love of countless young people and even become a cultural phenomenon. However, it is precisely because of its success and influence that it has become a thorn in the side of the US government and Western countries.
The U.S. government has long been hostile to TikTok, seeing it as a Chinese government's spying tool that could steal personal and sensitive data from U.S. users and even manipulate U.S. public opinion and elections. As a result, the U.S. government continues to take various measures to try to restrict or ban TikTok from operating in the United States. For example, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring ByteDance to sell or divest TikTok's U.S. business within 90 days; The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a ban prohibiting U.S. app stores from downloading or updating TikTok; The U.S. military and government agencies have also banned employees from using TikTok on their work phones.
While TikTok has been legally pushing back against the U.S. government's actions and has been upheld by some courts, it still faces significant uncertainty and risk. Moreover, not only the United States, but also some other Western countries have a suspicious and hostile attitude towards TikTok. For example, countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand have also banned the use of TikTok on government phones; India has directly blocked TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps; The EU has also launched an investigation into TikTok's data protection and consumer rights.
These events are a wake-up call: Chinese Internet companies are not going overseas without going smoothly. Especially in the context of the current tensions between China and the United States, the continuous escalation of trade and technology wars, and the rising global anti-China sentiment, Chinese Internet companies are facing unprecedented challenges and difficulties in going global. They not only have to deal with routine issues such as market competition, user needs, and legal regulation, but also face interference and suppression from politics, ideology, culture and other aspects.
So, is there any hope for Chinese Internet companies to go overseas? I think the answer is yes. However, this requires Chinese Internet companies to do the following:
First, adhere to innovation
Chinese Internet companies should have their own core competitiveness when going overseas, and cannot just imitate or follow the trend. They should constantly develop new technologies, products, functions, services, etc. to meet the needs and preferences of users in different countries and regions, and enhance user experience and value. TikTok, for example, is an example of innovation that leverages advanced AI algorithms to provide users with personalized content recommendations and interactions, creating a unique short-form video community. On the contrary, some Chinese Internet companies lack innovation when they go overseas, making their products and services difficult to distinguish from local competitors, and even considered copycats or plagiarism.
Second, respect localization
Chinese Internet companies cannot go overseas in a one-size-fits-all manner, and cannot directly copy China's models and products to other countries and regions. They must be localized and optimized according to different market environments, user habits, cultural differences, legal systems and other factors. For example, TikTok is a successful case, which has been customized according to the language, content, functions, operations and other aspects of different countries, so as to gain wide recognition and love from users. On the contrary, some Chinese Internet companies do not do a good job of localization when they go overseas, making it difficult to adapt their products to the local market, and even triggering resentment and resistance from local users and the government.
Third, protect user privacy
User privacy is a global issue as well as a sensitive one. Chinese Internet companies going overseas must attach importance to the protection of user privacy, comply with local data protection regulations, respect users' data ownership and choice, and not abuse, leak or transfer users' personal information and sensitive data. At the same time, Chinese Internet companies should also improve their capabilities and levels of data security to prevent hacking attacks or other malicious acts. In addition, Chinese Internet companies should strengthen communication and cooperation with local governments, regulatory agencies, and social organizations to improve their transparency and trust in data security.
Fourth, enhance social responsibility
Chinese Internet companies going overseas should not only pursue commercial interests, but also assume social responsibility. They should pay attention to the impact and contribution of their products and services to local society, culture, environment and other aspects, and avoid negative consequences and impacts. For example, TikTok has carried out various public welfare activities in many countries, supporting local education, medical care, environmental protection and other undertakings, and has won the respect and praise of the local society. On the contrary, some Chinese Internet companies fail to fulfill their social responsibilities when going overseas, resulting in their products and services being considered harmful or harmful to local society, culture, environment and other aspects.
Fifth, seek partners
Chinese Internet companies cannot go overseas alone and need to seek partners. They can establish cooperative relationships with local Internet companies, media organizations, content creators, advertisers, etc., to share resources and achieve mutual benefit. At the same time, Chinese Internet companies can also carry out cross-border cooperation with Internet companies in other countries or regions to jointly explore third-party markets and form synergy. For example, TikTok has reached a preliminary agreement with Oracle and Walmart in the United States to establish a new joint venture, TikTok Global, in the United States to work on data security and business operations.
In short, the overseas expansion of Chinese Internet companies is a process full of opportunities and challenges. Only by adhering to the principles of innovation, respecting localization, protecting user privacy, enhancing social responsibility, and seeking partners can we succeed and develop in the international market.
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