Sean O'Brien
Saturday, August 16, 2025: 10:00 am (Marillac Auditorium): The threatened U.S. ban on TikTok represents a turning point in global digital policy, reflecting the rise of "data tariffs" - restrictions on the movement of information modeled after traditional trade barriers. While concerns over privacy and national security have fueled the decision, the move also aligns with economic protectionism that benefits domestic tech giants. The fallout from this policy shift could further fragment the global Internet, leading to retaliatory restrictions against American firms and diminishing access to diverse digital platforms worldwide. In response, privacy advocates and open-source developers have taken action. StickTock.com is a free and open-source frontend for TikTok, designed to allow users to access and share TikTok content without invasive tracking, advertisements, or the need for a proprietary app. Built by the team at PrivacySafe, StickTock.com is hosted in Iceland - a jurisdiction with strong commitments to Internet freedom and privacy. Their mission is to demonstrate that digital independence and free speech can thrive in the face of restrictive policies. This talk will delve into the development of StickTock.com as a case study in open-source innovation as a means of circumventing censorship and preserving privacy. The challenges of building privacy-first digital alternatives, the broader implications of government-imposed digital barriers, and the future of decentralized platforms will be explored. In an era where the free flow of information is increasingly under threat, open-source solutions offer a critical pathway toward digital resilience and user autonomy.