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TikTok hits 1.5B downloads, outperforming Instagram

businessinsider.com

141–150 of 331 posts

Re: TikTok hits 1.5B downloads, outperforming Instagram

#141
post #54

My only concern with TikTok is data collection being funneled to the CCP.

Unlike Facebook, which is data collection being funneled to Western companies and US agencies.

> Unlike Facebook, which is data collection being funneled to Western companies and US agencies.

As a European, I'd rather have my data stored on US servers than Chinese servers.

Hell, Facebook probably has better security than the NHS.

Chinese GDP growth is headed for <5% anyway.

Re: TikTok hits 1.5B downloads, outperforming Instagram

#142
post #51

Aight, conspiracy theory time. I'm becoming concerned about PRC influence in my country (USA). From my perspective the PRC (government) is blatantly evil, and happily engaging in cultural warfare, and nobody seems to be fighting back. I see absurd astroturfing and shilling on social media here (Reddit, Twitter, Facebook). It's always obvious - whereas a genuine criticizer of the Hong Kong protestors might ask about v…

I had been worried about the Chinese influence in America for a while in the past, but recently came to the conclusion that the American value system is not at risk of being taken over by the Chinese value system. The American system pushes forward individual freedom, humanism, liberalism, capitalism -- things that transcend the boundaries of race, borders, etc. I would argue these values were quickly adopted by many…

> PRC offers is very specific to China

This is the entire reason behind "with Chinese characteristics". There is no universal Chinese model to export, the Chinese system is a product of constant experimentation that is highly situational and enabled by advantages of Chinese scale. Most countries are constrained in demographics, geography etc to replicate what China has done. The closest applicable model behind Chines development is Manchukuo, strategic protectionist policies that establish domestic industries which has fueled other Asian tigers like Japan, Korea and Taiwan. What's unique to China is sheer scale enables her reach great power parity in many fields and the ability to absorb failures without losing too much momentum. At the end of the day, the only oppression that China will export is surveillance state technology like Huawei Smart City but that's an commercial commodity like weapons, not ideology.

IMO people are worried about Chinese influence because US influence is declining - that shining house on hill has become dilapidated in the last 20 years. Blaming the nouveau riche neighbor won't solve America's problems, nor will trying to stop them from getting that new pool nor coercing others in the neighborhood to avoid the new neighbors house party.

Re: TikTok hits 1.5B downloads, outperforming Instagram

#145
post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It will be interesting to see how all of these silly videos recorded by kids will be used against them in 10-20 years. Everything that they do and say will be indexed and accessible for blackmail.

I keep hoping that society will become more actively forgiving of things people actually regret in the future. Blackmail isn't possible if no one cares about your edgy phase that you got over.

Yeah, we seem to be able to rightfully forgive people who commit actual crimes once they atone in prison. But cancel culture seems to give you zero ways back despite the most genuine heart-felt apology you can muster for a faux pas you uttered a decade ago.

Re: TikTok hits 1.5B downloads, outperforming Instagram

#146
The metrics make sense: as a user of both platforms, I'm spending far more time on TT these days than IG. My biggest gripe is Instagram is absolutely filled with ads: you get ads in between stories, ads in between posts, then a good portion of actual posts are "sponsored" (so ads from the posters themselves)... it's just a really bad mire of advertising and people trying to sell me stuff. Meanwhile TikTok is still fairly ad-free (I get an ad while scrolling maybe once every 10 mins?) and the content is just better.

In terms of content: remember when Instagram first became popular, and you started using that more compared to Facebook, because FB just felt "stale" and old while IG was the new and exciting thing, with better and more exciting content? That's basically the different between TT and IG now.

Re: TikTok hits 1.5B downloads, outperforming Instagram

#148
Like clockwork you can't mention anything vaguely related to China without someone accusing everyone else of being a pro-China shill. This is a fucking social network. We don't bring up Guantanamo Bay and the NSA scandals whenever Twitter does anything.

Re: TikTok hits 1.5B downloads, outperforming Instagram

#149
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The way I see it, the Chinese government doesn't care what you do as long as you don't challenge it. The US on the other hand seems intent on enforcing its whims everywhere on the globe it can. War on terror, war on drugs, war on encryption, war on financial privacy, war on intellectual property infringement. To quote CS Lewis: "It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. Th…

You are wrong: I am familiar with the CS Lewis quote 1) In this case the nation working behind the scenes is China. American imperialism I concede is bad. However, the Chinese have quietly been breaking over 50 international regulations and laws from the WTO and universal declaration of human rights. 2) The Chinese do care what you do. Just last week the Swedish government was going to give an award to an activist in…

I don't think the above commenter was defending China, so much as pointing out that the US does much worse.

Each one of your bullets is true, and more extremely applicable to the US.

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