It’s not just TikTok’s 1 billion users who are likely to find extreme the calls to ban the platform due to concerns over its content. But perhaps we should pay more attention to the questions also being raised over how the app fits into China’s wider interests in spreading its culture, enhancing its global influence and censoring views it objects to across national borders.

There’s a US constitutional doctrine which holds that the American government cannot prohibit “expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable” – and similar beliefs exist in many western countries. TikTok might not be owned or controlled by the Chinese government, but can TikTok comply with this approach while also navigating the many censorship laws in China?

Another technology raising eyebrows is Google’s new AI system. Gemini can seemingly understand and talk intelligently about almost any kind of prompt – pictures, text, speech, music and computer code. The development points to the next step in AI, machines analysing real-time data from the outside world to improve at what they do.

Meanwhile, the outcome of Serbia’s parliamentary elections on 17 December could have an important impact on peace in Europe. Serbia’s ruling party was once seen as pro-EU, but has steadily aligned itself with authoritarian states in Europe. Tensions have been rising along Serbia’s border with Kosovo, so the elections could decide whether these are likely to escalate or ease off.

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