10) TikTok, WeChat, Data Security and China “Decoupling”

While PEI does not attempt to share insights into what’s happening inside China, as the country’s digital ecosystem is separate from the global Internet (although that is fraying, which is its own story), when public policy matters outside China impact its digital companies, that is PEI news. In 2020, with the Trump Administration’s efforts to ban WeChat and force a sale of super-popular TikTok, and India banning dozens of major Chinese-based apps, China issues ranked #6. In 2021, the Biden Administration slowed things down, especially on TikTok and WeChat, ending the legal battles and embarking on an effort to create a new system to judge the security implications of Chinese-owned apps and digital equipment. Outside the US, the data security implications of digital businesses sharing data with businesses inside China was a growing issue, especially in Japan. And TikTok’s continued rise led to news on the privacy front.