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Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

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171–180 of 214 posts

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

#171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work at Facebook and we have a bi-yearly satisfaction survey. Trust in zuck's management is probably the highest metric, up there with agreeing with the global mission of the company (which is to connect people). I'd say he's one of the strong reason why people stay in the company even with the non-stopping bad news cycle. Don't think that what you see outside reflects what really happens inside. What I personally…

Yeah, none of that matters. What matters is the harm FB is doing to the country. Only companies that do shitty things need to have that much "training". Think about that.

I don't agree, and obviously a lot of people working for FB don't agree as well, but it is your right to think that what we're doing is shitty while ignoring all the upside and how the world has changed in a positive way through social networks.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

#172
post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At the end of the day the gleaming platitudes of Americanism (the stuff about fairness, equality etc) start to bump up against the reality of geopolitics. It's an unfair game, and pretending that China will eventually embrace what could colloquially be referred to as the Western approach to setting up markets like this is naive at best and dangerous at worst. It's not that your loyalty is misplaced, it's that I think…

Sure, so - what does the American approach have to recommend it? Why shouldn't I leave for China, the apparent winning team?

This is a hard question, to be completely honest. Let me put it this way: I think that if the goal is maximizing the potential for accruing power and influence for your country, the Chinese system is probably better in the long run - especially in the post-post 9/11 world. The American system offers stronger fundamentals (no nasty fertility cliff in ~15 years, a strong but increasingly fractured understanding of global responsibility, a law system that still does protect political speech) but a less clear approach on how, exactly, the government is going to ensure this prosperity gravy train that we’ve been riding since the Soviet Union fell continues.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

#173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work at Facebook and we have a bi-yearly satisfaction survey. Trust in zuck's management is probably the highest metric, up there with agreeing with the global mission of the company (which is to connect people). I'd say he's one of the strong reason why people stay in the company even with the non-stopping bad news cycle. Don't think that what you see outside reflects what really happens inside. What I personally…

Paying top of market also helps

I hear this often, but honestly even with a low pay people don't leave their job unless they at their core disagree fundamentally with the ethics of the company, and I don't know many people at FB who disagree fundamentally with the company. Sure there are people who are not happy with some of the decisions the company take, and they argue openly or challenge management about that, but a company can't make everyone happy and I'm happy that they at least give us transparency and the opportunity to express ourselves and challenge them when we don't agree. In other companies you would probably get kicked out if you didn't show open support in whatever decision they take, and worse if you start talking politics.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

#174
post #31

Facebook is banned in China. Is it unreasonable to encourage US gvt to apply pressure for a more even playing field? I know the narrative (and majority of comments) like to hate on Zuck, so just adding another perspective for this particular situation.

If you think the American way is superior why are you so quick to throw it in the trash to adopt China's policies? Or is it your view the American way deficient and we should learn from China?

I think most people would agree that the American way is superior, but that doesn’t mean that it will work with parties unwilling to participate.

Luckily it’s only China that refuse to play by the rules, which means that you can easily remove them from the game without changing the game or adopting their policies.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

#175

Reality is that while China blocks Facebook, Google, etc and smartly props up their own clones, it’s “aghast” at the American protectionism and xenophobic behaviour. How dare the Americans block a Chinese app?! China is not a democracy. It’s not interested in fairness. China is playing the long game. Just like the wars of the past were fought with little toy armies of a few thousand knights and noblemen marching into…

There's a difference, facebook did not attempt to run its social media business in China, and Google voluntarily quit so it doesn't have to comply to censorship law. Meanwhile Tiktok has a US branch and is complying with laws in the US. China has a restrictive internet where if you want to operate, you have to comply with a certain set of rules that are unsavory to say the least. Facebook, Google decided to not bothe…

> facebook did not attempt to run its social media business in China

It actually did attempt to do that, pretty hard. Zuck even learned quite a bit of Mandarin Chinese and spoke in it in China to students during a publicity tour. He's not stupid, he knows there's a lot of money in China. But Xi is also not stupid, so he's not going to let a US media company to have unimpeded access to almost all of his subjects, which it could then algorithmically brainwash. So it was not to be. Google didn't "voluntarily quit" either. It quit because it discovered it's being spied on and had its IP stolen - both of those things are a fact of life for any significant Western company operating in China. So yea, forgive me for not shedding a tear for TikTok.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a difference, facebook did not attempt to run its social media business in China, and Google voluntarily quit so it doesn't have to comply to censorship law. Meanwhile Tiktok has a US branch and is complying with laws in the US. China has a restrictive internet where if you want to operate, you have to comply with a certain set of rules that are unsavory to say the least. Facebook, Google decided to not bothe…

> Tiktok's US branch did not violate any US law and its being prosecuted with administrative action Seriously? That was already in 2019: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/tiktok-pay-5-7-millio...

This case it's fine. There is a due process. Hard evidence is brought forth, court ruled in according to law. Where is the due process for handing the sentencing that prevents tiktok from transaction with US persons in the first EO. White House also gets to define transaction as whatever they want. Salary to US employees? App store listing? Ad transaction? White House can play tiktok however they please.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

#178

Reality is that while China blocks Facebook, Google, etc and smartly props up their own clones, it’s “aghast” at the American protectionism and xenophobic behaviour. How dare the Americans block a Chinese app?! China is not a democracy. It’s not interested in fairness. China is playing the long game. Just like the wars of the past were fought with little toy armies of a few thousand knights and noblemen marching into…

Countries sent small armies into battle for good reason - until the industrial revolution sending 1m men into a foreign country would have involved the overwhelming majority of those men starving to death due to lack of supplies.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

#179
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't care if China is aghast at American protectionism and xenophobia. I'm aghast, because as an American citizen, I'm interested in fairness and I hate protectionism and xenophobia, and that's what I think America is about. If you're telling me that neither this nation nor any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure, and that we have to fight unfairness with unfairness, you're telling me that my loya…

As an American business owner, in my experience reality has no concern for “fairness” but is constructed by leverage and power.

As an American business owner, do you believe in the rule of law or the rule by law? Do you think any appearance of shifting to the latter would have an impact on the business environment?

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Stoked Washington’s Fears About TikTok

#180

Mark Zuckerberg knows that if another platform were sufficiently compelling, his users could turn on a dime (notice I didn't say customers). Zuckerberg is deathly afraid of competition and he is very aggressive about protecting Facebook's stranglehold on the social media advertising market.

TikTok and their users are so dumb that it is no competition
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