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US bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

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Re: US bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

#91

Post by TheAdamAndChe »

johnnyfaehell wrote: post #71
TheAdamAndChe wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calling the ban evil is a bit hyperbolic IMO, or maybe just incomplete. Phones with the software could easily be compromised. Users with the software can be profiled and tracked by the Chinese government pretty easily. The Chinese market bans most of America's social media software, and we're entering a trade war. All these are real, legitimate reasons to ban it.

> Users with the software can be profiled and tracked by the Chinese government pretty easily. This is true of all apps coming out of the US with the NSA. Should Google, Facebook, Netflix be banned in Europe? > and we're entering a trade war. The trade war started a while ago and I'm pretty sure China is winning it.

> Should Google, Facebook, Netflix be banned in Europe?

The EU historically has depended on alliance and trade with the US. If that corrodes, then it would make sense for them to ban those at a certain point. I doubt we're there yet though.

> The trade war started a while ago and I'm pretty sure China is winning it.

That's irrelevant to what I said.

Re: US bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

#92

Post by gabruoy »

stickfigure wrote: post #73

I'm confused: How does the executive branch have the right to unilaterally edit app stores? If Trump says "I'm sick of Barron playing CandyCrush at the dinner table, let's just ban it" can he do that? How? Shouldn't this require legislation? As an American, this seems very... "unamerican".

I have been trying to figure this out as well. I am just guessing as I haven't found anything specific, but since this is being issued by the department of commerce, I would assume that downloading an app from the Google Play or App Store would constitute a transaction, even if the price of the software is free, and the government can order that these are products that constitute a national security risk.

Re: US bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

#94

Post by Bhilai »

TheAdamAndChe wrote: post #34
peacefulhat wrote: post #20

WeChat ban is just evil, no justifiable benefit. Almost all the users in America are overseas Chinese who use it to talk to friends and family in China and send money.

Calling the ban evil is a bit hyperbolic IMO, or maybe just incomplete. Phones with the software could easily be compromised. Users with the software can be profiled and tracked by the Chinese government pretty easily. The Chinese market bans most of America's social media software, and we're entering a trade war. All these are real, legitimate reasons to ban it.

> The Chinese market bans most of America's social media software, and we're entering a trade war.

America is not China and should not frame its policies based on China's policies. While, I agree there is a need to retaliate but 'be like China' is hardly the way to do it.

Re: US bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

#95

Post by Udik »

zaksoup wrote: post #52
dheera wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

PSA: If you have an Android phone, you can download WeChat directly from wechat.com. You don't need to go through the Google Play store because your OS supports your freedom to some degree to install whatever you want on hardware that you OWN. If you have an iPhone, sorry that your phone company's CEO is pretty much a dictator and is complicit in restricting the freedom of Americans.

How come the argument "you can just buy an android phone" doesn't apply to iOS users in the same way "you can just sideload an APK" does to Google play store users? This isn't a rhetorical question, I'm genuinely curious about how people think of these distinctions.

Uh? I'm not sure I understand your question. The argument doesn't apply because we're talking about the quality of the phone, not the generic freedom of its users. Of course the users are free to use a different phone. Actually, they might be forced to because the phone they bought will refuse to do what they ask it to. Which sucks.

Re: US bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

#96

Post by akersten »

rgbrenner wrote: post #65

Just 3 months after TikTok users embarrassed Trump at his Tulsa rally, where he left visibly upset. He's called for the repeal of section 230 because of "tech bias". He attacks news outlets for “biassed” reporting. He attacks whistle blowers. He attacks people that supported him and later changed their minds (mattis, kelly, etc). He attacks Amazon for owning Washington Post. He attacks anyone that opposes him. I'm su…

> I'm surprised people are taking this ban at face value.

Yeah, it's astounding how quickly these discussions focused in on "well, what are the pros and cons of banning an app? When is an app a national security issue? What is an appropriate trade retaliation?" and completely missed the fact that - hey, the US government is, for the first time, using the Commerce department to dictate what code you can execute on your own device. It's absolutely disheartening how many people are getting distracted from the real issue here.

This is another trial balloon to expand executive power, and they're going to get away with it because "national security."

Re: US bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

#97

Post by [deleted] »

TheAdamAndChe wrote: post #34
peacefulhat wrote: post #20

WeChat ban is just evil, no justifiable benefit. Almost all the users in America are overseas Chinese who use it to talk to friends and family in China and send money.

Calling the ban evil is a bit hyperbolic IMO, or maybe just incomplete. Phones with the software could easily be compromised. Users with the software can be profiled and tracked by the Chinese government pretty easily. The Chinese market bans most of America's social media software, and we're entering a trade war. All these are real, legitimate reasons to ban it.

[deleted]

Re: US bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

#98

Post by ngcazz »

technoplato wrote: post #8

I’m genuinely curious what the perceived threat is here. Is it as simple as “China is going to read everyone’s stuff and use machine learning to figure out what the cool kids are doing and then brainwash them?”

Zoomers organizing!

Re: US bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

#100

Post by didibus »

hirundo wrote: post #17

Banning a speech app should trigger strict judicial scrutiny for first amendment infringement in the same way that banning a newspaper would: 1. Is it necessary to a "compelling state interest"? Maybe they are CCP surveillance apps, but that needs be shown in court, not merely asserted. 2. Is it "narrowly tailored" to achieving this compelling purpose? This seems narrowly tailored to two apps. 3. Does it use the "lea…

How does that apply to all other economic Sanctions? Like the sanctions on Cuba? If Cuba made a product that can arguably "enable free speech", would it be able to bypass sanctions?
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