New Featured Article on Opinio Juris: The US–China Mirror: TikTok, National Security, and Techno-Nationalism.
Drawing on insights from the February 2025 event ‘Whatever Happened to TikTok?’ at Maastricht University Faculty of Law, I discuss the recent US ban (and unbanning) of TikTok to explore how techno-nationalism is shaping geopolitics and global law.
In this piece, I argue that the US and China increasingly mirror each other’s tactics—invoking ‘national security’ to exclude foreign platforms while consolidating power and protecting domestic industries. This reciprocal logic can be seen not only in the TikTok case, but also in restrictions involving Huawei, Kaspersky, and Critical Minerals.
While mainstream narratives often frame these actions as protective, my analysis suggests they serve broader strategic and economic interests. The result is a troubling convergence: both states legitimise sweeping digital controls under the guise of security, while sidelining open debate.
Special thanks to Livia Solaro, Arthur Willemse, Agustin Parise, Eline Couperus and the Law and Popular Culture Network for organising the ‘Whatever Happened to TikTok?’ event.
You can read the full post here:
Henrique Marcos 