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India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

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Re: India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

#141

Post by systemvoltage »

ianleeclark wrote: post #109
jankassens wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If India (or any other country for that matter) would be in an armed conflict with the US, they would probably also consider banning various US controlled services.

I asked about the algorithm thing--that's what I'm curious about. Where specifically does that belief end.

I'd guess that double-standards are inevitable and desired when there is an armed conflict between nations.

If Indian government sees no harm in US apps whilst banning Chinese apps, this is the definition of diplomatic pressure. Asymmetry is the tool used to apply this pressure.

Your point is valid - we have no way to know Facebook algorithms and it is a blackbox, but this isn't supposed to be a symmetric comparison for aforementioned reasons.

Re: India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

#142

Post by sbmthakur »

Barrin92 wrote: post #24
riffic wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you seen any of the recently posted analyses of the TikTok binaries? https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=pastWeek&page=0&prefix=fal...

Yes, some of them are somewhat hyperbolic like the Apple keyboard thing which was apparently related to some sort of anti-spam feature, but in general that makes TikTok a privacy mess, which is undoubtly true but not really grounds for a national ban on the basis of security. By that logic you'd have to throw half the app store out.

The ban makes perfect sense when you add the current India-China conflict and PRC's National Intelligence Law into the mix.

https://www.lawfareblog.com/beijings-new-national-intelligen...

Re: India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

#143

Post by ketzu »

KingOfCoders wrote: post #72
president wrote: post #2

Glad to see India understanding the threat to national security posed by these apps. I would like to see the US do the same.

Yes and Europe doing the same to Chinese and US apps.

If we started taking gdpr more seriously, the apps basically ban themselves!

Re: India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

#144

Post by ngold »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #94
baybal2 wrote: post #11

Almost all (except 1) are Chinese made. I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with this https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/china-has-intruded-423-metre...

I don't see a problem with targeting Chinese-made apps, given how much China blocks from other countries. Free trade has to work both ways.

I don't see a problem with banning Spyware regardless of the country of origin.

Re: India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

#145

Post by hatenberg »

kumarvvr wrote: post #100

This is a right move, in my view. Chinese infiltration takes a myriad of forms and data collection is one of the biggest. And those apps form a basis for click-of-the-button hacking. And ordinary users will find it very very difficult to determine if an app is Chinese made or not. And the Chinese govt. will have it's fingers in everyone of them, one way or the other. What I do worry now is that since China has been e…

You'll see the same attitude to the US from the rest of the world too

Re: India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

#146

Post by decon2 »

chrisco255 wrote: post #25
cm2187 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Overnight, I agree. But I think the decoupling will happen. The outsourcing to China took about 10 years (mid 90s to mid 2000s). It will likely not take a lot longer to decouple. 10y is very rapid.

We in the U.S. should have partnered more closely with India in the first place. India is democratic and hold values closer to our own. The CCP not so much.

Yup. US should have partnered with India as the largest functioning democracy. But that was 50 years back. Last 6 years though, there is a clear challenge to democracy from right wing and fascist groups. Eerily similar to what happened in pre-Nazi Germany. This decade will tell us if democracy will survive.

Uncritical alliance or support will only strengthen the anti-democratic forces. The govt is very interested in stoking anger against an external force (china) to divert serious failures in handling covid crisis. It had adopted the same strategy using pakistan or muslims as the bogey man several times in the recent past.

Re: India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

#147

Post by SenoraRaton »

bradleykingz wrote: post #113
AndrewUnmuted wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aren't all social media platforms guilty of being data vacuums?

I'd rather not be feeding my draconian regime

... You think the Google/Facebook/The US government aren't insidious agencies?

Re: India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

#148

Post by sbmthakur »

saltedonion wrote: post #27
Barrin92 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

banning the usage of WeChat for public officials or national defense companies and so on would make some sense, I fail to see however how TikTok is a security threat. It's just a response to the clash over the border and nothing else, and not really a particularly effective one at that.

Tiktok can be a huge threat because their recommendation algorithms are black box. This makes them capable of controlling how potentially dangerous information is disseminated in the United States, including topics influencing elections.

All they need is a directive from the CCP. PRC even has a 'National Intelligence law' in place for that:

https://www.lawfareblog.com/beijings-new-national-intelligen...

Re: India bans TikTok, WeChat, and dozens of other Chinese apps

#149

Post by takeda »

braythwayt wrote: post #90
enahs-sf wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. Tiktok is clearly a data vacuum masquerading as a social media platform.

> Tiktok is clearly a data vacuum masquerading as a social media platform For any value of "TikTok," including Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, iMessage, gmail, &c.

I know (and in fact use) non-standard apps for Facebook and Reddit (they are superior IMO), does TikTok contain one?
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