Seafile + Samba + OpenVPN is my stack. I use Seafile for a dropbox style file sync on my devices, and Samba for direct access. OpenVPN for remote access on all devices. Works quite well.
I didn't follow the whole session (only saw the memes about it on TikTok), but in the recent congressional hearing, was the TikTok CEO grilled on misinformation on his platform? I see tonnes of astroturfed content on TikTok, significantly more than other platforms. Russia bots, flat earthers, moon-landing deniers, 9/11 truthers -- obvious misinformation. I've reported these before under misinformation but the report is usually rejected. Does TikTok turn a blind eye to these things, or is it the nature of the algorithm that I'm exposed to more content outside my "bubble"?
I recommend this method for self-hosting too. I have gigabit Internet and cloudflare proxying unlocks the ability to host locally without exposing my home IP. Plus all the advantages of DDoS mitigation.