>> FLYING OVER A BUNCH OF
MARIJUANA PLANTS.
>> THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRIPLE
FRONT YEAR BETWEEN PARAGUAY,
BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA.
THE SCALE IS PRETTY DIFFICULT TO
WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND.
>> A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT
THINGS ARE BEING SAID BUT NOBODY
IS LISTENING.
I'M GOING TO MAKE IT MORE FUN.
>> TIKTOK HAS GIVEN PEOPLE A
CHANCE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE
COMMUNITY.
BUT THE COMPANY HAS ALSO BEEN
GIVING OFF SOME BIG BROTHER
VIBES.
>> THEY'VE DELIGHTED SO MUCH OF
MY TIKTOK POSTS.
I DON'T THINK THEY ARE GOING TO
LET US KEEP DOING THIS.
>> THESE GUYS ARE LEADING US TO
A GUARD POST RIGHT BY THE RIVER.
THEY ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO
WEAR BUG SPRAY BECAUSE THE
SMUGGLERS WILL SMELL IT AND
DETECT THEM.
THEY STAY HERE QUIETLY WITH
INFERRED CAMERAS.
>> THIS IS THE TRIPLE FRONT
YEAR, THE THREE-WAY BORDER
BETWEEN PARAGUAY, ARGENTINA AND
BRAZIL.
TONS OF CO-CONTAIN AND MARIJUANA
FLOW THROUGH HERE EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S WHY THE ARGENTINA NAVY
PATROLS THIS AREA AROUND THE
CLOCK.
>> YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF
PEOPLE THROUGH THE THERMAL
CAMERA BUT THEY ARE NOT MOVING.
IT COULD BE SMUGGLERS, OR
FISHERMEN OUT HERE.
ALL THEY CAN DO IS SIT HERE
HOURS AND HOURS AND HOPE THE
SMUGGLERS USE THIS PARTICULAR
SPOT TO UNLOAD ON THE ARGENTINA
SIDE.
BUT FOR ALL THEY TRY, THEY DON'T
USUALLY CATCH ANY SMUGGLERS.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE AUTHORITIES
HERE ARE AT A SERIOUS
DISADVANTAGE.
UNLIKE CRIMINALS, THEY HAVE TO
RESPECT INTERNATIONAL BORDERS.
>> THIS IS AN ARGENTINA NAVY
PATROL BOAT.
THEY ARE PATROLLING UP AND DOWN
THE RIVER LOOKING OUT FOR PEOPLE
TRYING TO CROSS FROM ONE BANK TO
ANOTHER.
YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CROSS
HERE, JUST CROSSING IS ILLEGAL.
IF THEY DO SEE SOMEONE PREPARED
TO CROSS, THEY CAN'T DO
ANYTHING, BECAUSE IN ORDER TO DO
THAT, THEY HAVE TO CROSS INTO
ANOTHER COUNTRY'S TERRITORY.
NO ONE COUNTRY CAN PATROL A
PLACE THREE COUNTRIES MEET.
IT BECOMES A SORT OF LAWLESS NO
MAN'S LAND EASILY EXPLOITED BY
TRAFFICKERS.
>> THE TRIPLE FRONT YEAR WAS
ONCE LITTLE MORE THAN A BACK
WATER BUT NOW ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT PLACES IN THE WORLD
WHEN IT COMES TO THE DRUG TRADE.
THE REASON, THEY USE PARAGUAY TO
PRODUCE AND TRANSPORT HUGS
AMOUNTS OF DRUGS TO BRAZIL AND
ARGENTINA WHERE THEY GO TO
MARKETS FAR BEYOND.
THESE ROUTES ACCOUNT FOR AN
IMPORTANT SHIFT IN THE MARKET OF
DRUGS.
BRAZIL USED TO BE MERELY A
CONSUMER BUT POWERFUL GANGS HAVE
TURNED IT INTO A MAJOR EXPORT.
AUTHORITIES SEIZE MORE THAN 150
TONS OF COCAINE AND MARIJUANA.
THAT'S A TINY FRACTION OF WHAT
FLOWS THROUGH.
THIS IS A CHECK POINT RUN BY THE
ARGENTINA BORDER POLICE.
ONE OF THE FEW YOU WILL FIND.
EVEN STILL, THE SMUGGLERS FIND
WAYS AROUND.
FOR ONE THING, THEY ARE NOT
STOPPING
STOPPING TRUCKS WITH ARGENTINA
PLATES LIKE THIS ONE.
WHEN THEY DO SEIZE DRUGS, THEY
RUN OUT OF PLACES TO PUT THEM.
>> ONE RECENT SEIZURE WAS SO
LARGE, THEY HAD TO REPURPOSE
A SEMI TO STORE IT.
FLURK.
>> THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE
LAWLESSNESS OF THE TRIPLE FRONT
YEAR LIES IN PARAGUAY.
EVEN BY LATIN AMERICAN
STANDARDS, PARAGUAY IS A
PROFOUNDLY ILLEGAL COUNTRY GOING
BACK TO THE DICTATORSHIP.
THE TINY RULING CLASS HAS A
HISTORY OF INVOLVEMENT WITH DRUG
TRAFFICKING AND MONEY
LAUNDERING.
GLOBALIZATION OPENED THE BORDERS
TO FREE TRADE IN THE 90s AND THE
UNDERBELLY, TRANSNATIONAL
ORGANIZED CRIME.
POWERFUL GANGS FROM BRAZIL
OPERATE FREELY ACROSS THE
BORDER.
THE BIGGEST OF THEM.
THE FIRST COMMAND OF THE CAPITAL
OR THE PCC PATROLS THE CITY.
VERY FEW PEOPLE THERE ARE
WILLING TO STAND UP TO THE
GANGS.
ONE OF THEM, AN INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTER WHO HAS BEEN ON THE
DRUG BEAT FOR DECADES.
HE LIVES UNDER 24-HOUR
PROTECTION FROM A HEAVILY ARMED
POLICE DETAIL.
>> I LOVE IT.
>> TRAFFICKERS USE THE CITY TO
FUNL CO-CONTAIN FROM COLUMBIA,
PERU AND BOLIVIA.
FROM THERE, IT IS SHIPPED TO
AFRICA AND THEN TRAVELS THROUGH
THE EUROPEAN MARKET.
THIS PLACE THAT SEEMS LIKE A
SLEEPY CITY, HIDES A MORE
SYNISTER REALITY.
THE PCC RULES THE BORDER LANDS
THROUGH A COMBINATION OF
POLITICAL CORRUPTION AND TERROR.
MUCH OF THEIR RECRUITING HAPPENS
IN PRISONS.
IN THE MOST RECENT DISPLAY OF
JUST HOW MUCH POWER THEY HAVE,
THE GANG PULLED OFF A
SPECTACULAR PRISON BREAK
INVOLVING DOZENS OF INMATES.
THIS IS THE PRISON MORE THAN 70
PEOPLE ESCAPED FROM IN JANUARY.
THAT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY
BRAZILIAN GANGS PREFER TO
OPERATE HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE SO
WEAK AND CORRUPTIBLE THAT THE
PCC WAS ABLE TO TAKE OVER AN
ENTIRE WING OF THE JAIL TO DIG
TUNNELS AND WHY 70 OF THEM WERE
ABLE TO JUST WALK OUT.
>> THIS OFFICER WORK IS WORKING
ON VEST BASING THE PRISON BREAK.
>> HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR MORE
THAN 70 PEOPLE TO ESCAPE FROM A
PRISON?
>> HOW DEEP IS THE CORRUPTION
PROBLEM IN THE PRISONS?
>> SINCE PARAGUAY CAN'T CONTROL
WHAT HAPPENS IN ITS PRISONS OR
ACROSS ITS BORDERS, IT SENDS IN
POLICE TO FIND PLANTATIONS TO
CUT DOWN THE PLANTS ONE BY ONE.
MOST OF THE LAND IN PARAGUAY IS
OWNED BY A FEW FAMILIES.
THEY OWN SO MUCH LAND THAT
PEOPLE CAN SNEAK ON AND GROW
ENORMOUS EXPANSES OF WEED.
>> WE ARE ON A MASSIVE PIECE OF
LAND OWNED BY ONE OF THE
RICHEST, MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN
PARAGUAY.
WE ARE ON A SOY FIELD.
THAT IS THE HELICOPTER THAT IS
GOING TO TAKE US TO A MARIJUANA
FIELD GROWING INSIDE A FOREST
INSIDE THIS PERSON'S LAND.
THE LAND OWNERS ALERTED THE
AUTHORITIES IN THIS CASE.
IN OTHER CASES, THEY WORK HAND
IN HAND WITH THE GROWERS.
WEED IS STILL ILLEGAL HERE AND A
HUGE BUSINESS.
PARAGUAY IS THE NUMBER ONE
GROWER ON THE CONTINENT.
MOSTLY FOR EXPORT.
>> WE ARE OVERT TONS OF MARIJUAA
PLANTS.
>> THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN HERE
EIGHT DAYS AND HAVEN'T EVEN CUT
DOWN HALF OF WHAT THEY FOUND.
WHAT THEY FOUND HERE IS A TINY
FRACTION OF THE 20 TO 30,000
HECTARS THEY FOUND.
THIS IS BASICALLY A FUTILE
EXERCISE.
PARAGUAY IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
MARIJUANA PRODUCERS IN THE
WORLD.
THE SCALE IS DIFFICULT TO WRAP
YOUR HEAD AROUND.
EACH ONE OF THESE ROUGHLY
SOCCER-SIZED PARCELS OF
MARIJUANA PLANTS GROWS ROUGHLY
$1.5 MILLION
$1.5 MILLION IN BRAZIL WHERE
MOST OF THIS IS GOING.
IT IS BRAZILIAN GANGS USING
PARAGUAY TERRITORY AS A GIANT
GROW HOUSE.
>> THOSE CRIMINAL GROUPS ARE
LOCATED IN BRAZIL'S BIGGEST
CITIES.
IT IS HERE THAT THEY'VE EVOLVED
FROM LOCAL PRISON GANGS INTO SOW
SIFT INDICATED TRANSNATIONAL
BUSINESSES CAPABLE OF HANDLING
BUSINESSES ACROSS BORDERS.
>> A COMMON REFRAIN FOR
CRIMINALS EVERYWHERE.
A REALITY THAT GOVERNMENTS HAVE
COME TO BASICALLY ACCEPT.
NO MATTER WHICH SIDE OF THE
THREE BORDERS YOU ARE ON, THE
DRUG WAR LOOKS THE SAME.
THE STATE WOULD RATHER COEXIST
WITH ORGANIZED CRIME THAN
ADDRESS THE ROOT CONDITIONS, THE
INEQUALITY AND CORRUPTION THAT
ALLOW IT TO THRIVE.
>> SINCE THE PANDEMIC HIT, A LOT
OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SCRAMBLING
TO ADJUST TO ONLINE LIFE.
MOST PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THAT
SPACE, THEIR VIRTUAL LIVES AND
IRL LIVES WERE ALREADY PRETTY
WELL INTEGRATED.
>> ALMOST GOT IT.
YOU GOT TO COMMIT.
>> A MESSAGE FOR ALL THE
ENVIRONMENTALISTS OUT THERE, SO
THEY ARE MAKING A TIKTOK.
>> YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THAT ONE?
>> EVERYTHING I WANTED TO SAY.
>> CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIVEISM OR
ARE YOU JUST A FASCIST.
>> TIKTOK LAUNCHED IN 2018 BUT
BLUE UP THE NEXT YEAR.
IT IS ESTIMATED THERE ARE AT
LEAST 800 MILLION ACTIVE MONTHLY
USERS.
MOST IN INDIA BUT ALSO GETTING
TRACTION IN THE U.S.
NOT JUST KIDS.
YOU ARE LIABLE TO SEE SOCCER
MOMS, COPS.
PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE USING IT.
STILL MOSTLY KNOWN FOR DANCE
TRENDS AND FAMILY FRIENDLY
MEMES.
BUT SOME USE IT A LITTLE
DIFFERENTLY.
THEIR VIDEOS FOCUS ON BREAKING
DOWN THE POLITICS ON THINGS LIKE
RACE AND GENDER WITH SOME IN
YOUR FACE HUMOR.
>> A LOT OF IMPORTANT THINGS ARE
BEING SAID BUT NO ONE IS
LISTENING BECAUSE YOU ARE
TALKING IN 20-POINT TWITTER
THREADS.
I'M GOING DO IT AND MAKE IT MORE
FUN AND EASIER TO UNDERSTAND.
>> I CAN SEE PART OF YOUR AIM IS
EDUCATION.
YOU ARE DOING IT ON AN APP WHERE
CRINGY PRETOOENS MAKE CRINGY
VIDEOS.
>> YEP.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THAT APP IS FOR
I'M AWARE.
BUTS THAT WHY THIS IS THE
PERFECT PLACE TO DO IT.
NOBODY IS EXPECTING THIS.
>> ON FACEBOOK ON TWITTER, GOING
VIRAL MEANS GETTING YOUR
FOLLOWERS TO SHARE YOUR POST WHO
WILL SHARE WITH THEIR FOLLOWERS
AND ON.
TIKTOK IS DIFFERENT, THE KEY TO
GOING VIRAL HERE IS TO DO
WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET ON THE
FOR YOU PAGE WHICH THE COMPANY
SAYS IS AUTOMATICALLY OCCURATED.
IT FUNLS AN ENDLESS STREAM OF
VIDEOS.
BUT CREATORS AREN'T TRYING TO
GET IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, THEY
ARE TRYING TO GET IN FRONT OF A
TARGET AUDIENCE.
>> THEY'VE BEEN RESEARCHING
ONLINE CULTURE THE LAST DECADE.
>> ON TIKTOK, WE SEE YOUNG
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT POLITICS
THROUGH A PERSONAL LENS.
IT IS A PLATFORM THAT FEELS
REALLY COMFORTABLE FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR RESEARCH
FINDING?
>> ON THE FACE OF IT, VIDEOS
MIGHT SEEM LIKE SILLY FUN BUT
THEY ARE SIGNIFICANT.
SOMEONE MIGHT LIP SYNC TRUMP'S
WE NEED TO BUILD A WALL SPEECH
BUT IN THE COMMENT, THEY MIGHT
HAVE SOME REALLY INTERESTING
COMMENTS TALKING ABOUT THE
IMPLICATION OF IMMIGRATION.
HEAVY STUFF THAT CAN LEAD TO
SOLIDARITY, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR
MINORITIES FEELING VULNERABLE IN
THIS POLITICAL MOMENT.
>> YOU ARE ARABIC?
I LOVE HUMUS.
>> DE-ANNA HAS OVER 16 OF 2,000
FOLLOWERS AND OVER 5 MILLION
LIKES.
SHE MAKES TIKTOKS ABOUT WHAT IT
IS LIKE TO BE ARAB AND FIRST
GENERATION IMMIGRANT IN AMERICA.
>> SO I USUALLY REST IT ON THIS
THING.
OKAY.
>> I'M GOOD.
>> I JUST ATE.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
>> SORRY.
SORRY.
>> HAVING A HUGE FOLLOWING COMES
WITH A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY.
>> I HAVE THIS PLATFORM AND I'M
GOING TO USE IT TO REPRESENT
THAT OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN
PEOPLE.
IN THE U.S., IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN
HUSH ABOUT WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN
AND WHAT YOUR COUNTRY IS GOING
THROUGH.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING ARE
NOT ARAB.
YOU MAY BE THE ONLY ARAB PERSON
THEY SEE ON ANY SCREEN THIS YEAR
AND THEY ARE WATCHING AND
LAUGHING.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
>> IT SUCKS BECAUSE YOU KNOW SO
OFTEN, IT IS LIKE ARAB,
TERRORISTS.
THAT'S THE JOKE.
ARE YOU ASKING IF PEOPLE ARE
LAUGHING AT MY CULTURE?
>> DO YOU EVER WORRY ABOUT THAT?
>> NO.
IF YOU ARE LAUGHING AT SOMEBODY
ELSE'S CULTURE, THAT'S IGNORANT.
YOU'VE GOT TO WORK ON THAT.
IF I WORRY ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE, I
WOULDN'T MAKE THE VIDEOS THAT
WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHER YOUNGER
KIDS TO STAY GROUNDED IN THEIR
ROOTS.
>> TIKTOK IS GIVING CREATORS A
PLACE TO CONNECT AND SHARE
CULTURES BUT THE APP IS ALSO
MAKING A LOT OF PEOPLE NERVOUS.
TIKTOK AND ITS PARENT COMPANY
BYTE DANCE ARE UNDER
INVESTIGATION BY MULTIPLE U.S.
AGENCIES OVER USER SURVEILLANCE.
A FELLOW AT THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL
FOCUSING ON CYBER SECURITY AND
GOVERNMENT POLICY.
>> FROM A CYBER SECURITY
STANDPOINT, WHAT ARE THE
CONCERNS ABOUT TIKTOK?
>> THE FIRST IS DATA SECURITY.
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED
THAT TIKTOK IS LOCATED IN CHINA.
ALL IT TAKE IS BE JIJING SENDINA
CAR DOWN THE STREET KNOCKING ON
TIKTOK'S DOOR AND DEMANDING THE
INFORMATION.
THE SECOND CONCERN IS AROUND
CENSORSHIP.
>> IT IS NOT JUST CHINESE BASED.
>> YOU THINK ABOUT FACEBOOK AND
CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA, THAT WAS
EXPLOSIVE.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO POINT THE
FINGER AT CHINA, A LOT OF P
EMWILL POINT AT THE U.S. AND SAY
LOOK AT HOW THE NSA HAS TAPPED
IN TO SPY ON PEOPLE.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT THE
AFRGS
AVERAGE TIKTOK USER?
>> THIS IS A CHANCE FOR THE
BROADER USE OF APPS WE USE.
THERE IS USE OF TIKTOK, THERE
HAVE BEEN CONCERNS RAISED WITH
OTHER PLATFORMS.
THIS IS A CHANCE TO EDUCATE
YOURSELF AND HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER OR
NOT WE AS SOCIETY SHOULD BE
USING APPS THAT DON'T HAVE ANY
PRIVACY OR SAFE GUARDS IN PLACE.
>> TIKTOK DID NOT IMMEDIATELY
RESPOND THOUGH THE COMPANY HAS
SAID ITS TOP BRIE ORITY IS,
QUOTE, EARNING THE TRUST OF
USERS AND THAT IT DOESN'T SHA
INFORMATION WITH CHINA.
THEY DID ADMIT THEY HAVE BEEN
HIDING VIDEOS MADE BY DISABLED,
QUEER AND FAT PEOPLE.
THEY SAID THEY WERE TRYING TO
PROTECT JULY
PROTECT VULNERABLE PEOPLE.
THEY WON'T TAKE DOWN VIDEOS
CLASSIFIED AS, QUOTE, COUNTER
SPEECH.
THAT IS STILL VAGUE.
FOR MOST YOUNG PEOPLE, THE IDEA
OF A COMPANY OR GOVERNMENT
KEEPING TABS ON YOU ISN'T
PARTICULARLY NEW.
WHAT DOES FEEL NEW ARE THE WAYS
PEOPLE ARE FINDING TO SHARE
THEIR PERSPECTIVES.
>> A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR WHO
LIVES ON A NAVAJO RESERVATION
JUST OUTSIDE THE UTAH STATE
LINE.
>> I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE
MEETING.
I'M THROWING IN MY CHIPS ♪
I TEND TO PUSH MY LUCK.
>> MY DAD WAS SLEEPING.
IT WAS ABOUT MIDNIGHT.
I DID MY NIGHT ROUTINE.
IT WAS LIKE 2,000 LIKES AND 20
COMMENTS.
I WAS LIKE WHAT?
I FORGOT I MADE A TIKTOK.
THAT RACKED UP 100,000 LIKES AND
SHE PICKED UP A TON OF FOLLOWERS
LIKE WHY SHE WANTED TO LIVE IN A
PLACE WITH NO ELECTRICITY OR
RUNNING WATER.
>> THAT SURPRISED ME THE MOST.
THIS IS OUR LAND.
OUR ANCESTORS FOUGHT FOR IT.
THIS IS WHAT WE CALL HOME.
>> WHO DO YOU MAKE TIKTOKS FOR?
>> FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO SEE HOW
NATIVE NAVAJO LIVE.
>> SEEING LIVE FROM SOMEONE WHO
LIVES THERE IS RARE AND ITS
GOTTEN HER A FAN BASE BUT THAT'S
NOT HER GOAL.
HOLIDAY IS JUST FOCUSING ON
THAT.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MAKE
SOMETHING AND IT DOES WELL, THEY
JUST WANT TO CHASE THAT AND GET
WHATEVER I CAN DO TO GET MORE
LIKES AND MORE SHARES OR
COMMENTS.
>> I'M NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL.
I'M HAPPY WHERE MY TIKTOK IS.
>> I THINK YOU ARE THE FIRST
TEENAGER I'VE TALKED TO WHO IS
NOT CHASING CLOUT.
>> HAPPY WHERE I'M AT.
MY GENERATION HAS A BRIGHT
FUTURE.
I JUST WANT TO CHANGE THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THAT.
I JUST WANT TO CHANGE THE