Hao Wu's 'TikTok Never Dies' Examines the Platform as a Geopolitical and Cultural Battleground
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PUBLISHED by Jesse Rylander
Summary
Filmmaker Hao Wu, a former Silicon Valley insider who worked at Alibaba and TripAdvisor, premieres his documentary "TikTok Never Dies" at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. The film examines TikTok's tumultuous journey through bans, legal battles, and geopolitical tensions, while raising deeper questions about algorithmic control, digital sovereignty, and the power dynamics between tech platforms and governments. Wu's unique perspective as a tech industry veteran turned filmmaker allows him to explore how TikTok became a battleground for free expression, data privacy, and cultural influence, ultimately framing the platform as a mirror reflecting broader societal and political struggles.
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MotionographerHao Wu's 'TikTok Never Dies' Examines the Platform as a Geopolitical and Cultural Battlegroundmotionographer.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledThere is something quietly radical about a filmmaker who worked in Silicon Valley, ran operations for Alibaba and TripAdvisor, and then turned the camera on the industry he helped build.
TikTok Never Dies... arrives at something that feels less like a tech story and more like a mirror held up to the moment we are all living in.
The algorithm is not neutral. It never was. And Wu knows this because he helped build systems like it.
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