Liberty without any framework of order always moves toward anarchy. History teaches that every society, when given complete freedom without any boundaries, sooner or later collapses under its own weight. That is why every liberty must carry certain limits. No state in the world—whether it claims to be democratic, socialist, or authoritarian ever allows a space to grow completely beyond its control. Even the United States, which projects itself as the global ideal of freedom, acts on the same old principle: liberty is celebrated only when it does not challenge the interests of the state.

The recent American desire to purchase TikTok along with its algorithm is not an accident, nor is it a gesture of corporate expansion. It is a political act, a strategic act, and an ideological act. The American state does not want the app simply as a business commodity; it wants the algorithm, the invisible engine that shapes what millions of American citizens watch, think, react to, and internalize. Because whoever controls the algorithm controls the narrative, and whoever controls the narrative controls the direction of society.

The crisis intensified when TikTok videos on the Israel–Palestine issue began circulating widely. Many American youths, through independent content, started questioning U.S. foreign policy, military aid, and the humanitarian cost of war. This sudden shift in public opinion caused discomfort in Washington. It was a moment when the state realized that a foreign-owned platform could influence domestic political attitudes—something no superpower tolerates. So the argument was created: national security, data protection, and protection of American youth. But beneath these noble slogans lies the oldest truth: the state wants to decide what TikTok should show and what it should not show.

When we look at history, a similar pattern appears repeatedly. Every step taken by states in the name of welfare, security, or liberty ultimately serves the state’s own agenda. From print media to radio, from radio to television, and now from television to social media—every platform is gradually absorbed into the architecture of state power. At first, the freedom seems real, open, and uncontrolled. But as soon as the platform becomes influential enough to shape political opinions or threaten established interests, the same freedom becomes a “risk,” a “danger,” or a “security challenge.”

Print media was once called the tool of enlightenment, then it became the tool of empire. Radio was introduced as public communication, then turned into a wartime propaganda machine. Television arrived as a window to the world, and soon became the guardian of corporate values and national narratives. Now the same evolution is happening with social media.

The world celebrates social media as a symbol of democracy. The logic is simple: everyone can speak, everyone can share, everyone can criticize. But in reality, social media operates in the interest of states, corporations, and empires. The platforms survive on data, and data is the new currency of power. When this currency flows beyond the reach of national institutions, the fear begins. Therefore, states want to regulate, censor, purchase, or restructure any platform that escapes their influence.

Social media has two faces. On one side, it is a tool of propaganda, a sophisticated mechanism through which states and corporations spread carefully designed narratives. On the other side, it is a channel of half-information and disinformation, where truth and falsehood mix so deeply that ordinary citizens cannot distinguish one from the other. This dual nature makes social media more dangerous and more useful than traditional media ever was. It gives the illusion of freedom while subtly directing the collective mind.

The American debate on TikTok is simply a new chapter in this old story. The first question for any state is not liberty; it is control. Even in democracies, control is disguised as regulation. The American establishment wants to ensure that no foreign algorithm shapes the consciousness of American citizens. They want the power to filter, restrict, promote, or silence whatever content is considered harmful to strategic interests. The argument of liberty is always shown at the surface, but the deeper structure is built on state authority.

If we honestly observe the direction of modern technology, it becomes clear that the boundary between state and corporate power is disappearing. Big tech companies today operate like mini-empires. They influence elections, culture, markets, and even geopolitics. The state cannot afford to let such powers remain outside its grip. So the partnership develops: states protect corporations, and corporations protect the political order. Social media sits exactly at that intersection.

The TikTok case exposes the paradox of American democracy. On paper, it promotes free speech. In practice, it fears uncontrolled speech. On one hand, it champions global openness. On the other, it cannot tolerate an external influence on its domestic narrative. This contradiction has been part of the American system since its beginning. The structure looks democratic, but the functioning remains deeply strategic.

We must understand that technology today is not neutral. It is political. Every app, every platform, every algorithm carries hidden designs. It is no longer just about entertainment or information. It is about shaping the mind, guiding public behavior, and determining political outcomes. Whoever controls technology controls society. And whoever controls society controls the future.

For nations like Pakistan, this debate has a strong lesson. We talk about liberty, but without order liberty becomes chaos. We talk about professional institutions, but without social roots professionalism becomes alienation. If in the future countries ignore the political nature of technology, they will meet the same fate that others have suffered dependent, vulnerable, and easily manipulated. Pakistan must focus on professionalism, technological capacity, and national self-reliance, but at the same time we must not detach ourselves from society. A modern state requires order, but order should not crush the organic voice of the people.

History never forgives nations that sleep while others master the tools of tomorrow. America is not purchasing TikTok for entertainment. It is purchasing a future instrument of power. The real question is whether we, as a nation, understand this shift or whether we continue to watch the world silently as spectators.