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As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

economist.com

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Re: As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

#171

Post by dijit »

ceejayoz wrote: post #137
dijit wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/633024-america-has-no-perma... From Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State.

By that pessimistic definition, no country can really ever have allies. The US has a number of nations with which its interests have long aligned with, and are likely to continue to, and are formalized via treaty. I’m ok with calling those alliances.

That might be a perspective, but it feels weird to say it the way Kissinger does if it doesn’t elude to something deeper.

For example: There could be war between Finland and Sweden, but it’s fair to call them allies, in this day and age, they are friends… friends can still fall out. I know he says permanent friends, but permanence in friendship is simply the act of not sabotaging it.

In the same way it might be fair to call the US and Canada allies, but given that the US has been considerably more hostile to the EU, even spying on politicians, I think the quote is more telling than you believe.

Re: As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

#172

Post by illiac786 »

trasz wrote: post #108
ConstantVigil wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not the person you are asking, but I think I have a point that can help shed some light on the matter. I'm going to be speaking from the Canadian side of things, and so I'll be saying 'We' a lot due to the US and Canada tending to trade alike in a lot of ways AFAIK. Ultimately, it all boils down to known trajectories. The EU and other places in the general area such as the UK, are all known to have histories of their…

Quoted post unavailable.

Huh, a single guy having all the power and changing the fundamental rules of the game (aka constitution or however it's called in China)? Not a red flag?

Re: As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

#173

Post by est31 »

Ekaros wrote: post #154
HaZeust wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well the real slimy thing they did was make posts under a minute on YouTube default to a Short.

And the browser UI is quite pointless for them... Why even have that? Is it only there to increase the metrics?

The shorts browser UI is a clone of the tiktok UI. I don't really like either, they could have innovated at least a little by introducing more powerful video controls like the seeking shortkeys that work on youtube for example.

But it wasn't built to appeal me (or you), but other parts of the population, people who prefer tiktok like experiences.

For me personally, the reason to use shorts every now and then is because tiktok is authwalled while shorts is not. But I don't know what other users of shorts would say why they prefer it.

Re: As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

#175

Post by illiac786 »

api wrote: post #103
bigcat12345678 wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 85% of US teenagers use tiktok. That's 85% of the future generation of US senators, Cabinet members, and Supreme Court justices, of police chiefs, civil rights activists, mayors, CEOs, etc. What's the basis of social elites are coming uniformly from the population? I think it's obvious that the social elites in all areas are predominantly from wealthy and affluent families. So the line of thinking of 85% teens corr…

So say it’s 50%. That’s not much better.

Yes it is. And it's still baseless.

Re: As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

#176

Post by NicoJuicy »

dijit wrote: post #60
crmd wrote: post #28

85% of US teenagers use tiktok. That's 85% of the future generation of US senators, Cabinet members, and Supreme Court justices, of police chiefs, civil rights activists, mayors, CEOs, etc. in their bedrooms right now consuming content curated by, and filming their lives and that of their friends, and uploading the video to data centers, that are controlled by a strategic adversary of the United States. This is, to p…

This might sound like a fallacious argument; but do you think the same about Europeans who consume almost exclusively US media and interact almost exclusively with US social media platforms? The US (famously) does not have Allies, only temporary allegiances. If you're discussing ties to government, Twitter and Facebook have members on their boards publicly who are sitting and/or former members of government including…

US has the same stance on the Democratic world like the EU.

As it appears, China actually supported war in Europe. As long as it didn't happen during the games.

So yes, China should be under suspicion a lot more than the US from an European viewpoint.

Ps. I'm from Belgium

Re: As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

#177

Post by voisin »

gardenhedge wrote: post #130
ThalesX wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TikTok is the only social media app I use anymore. I didn’t even change my default ‘user12345’ account nor have I linked anything to it. I also consume it differently than I used to do the others, by going maybe once per week or two and binge for a couple of hours. It fills me with joy and ideas just as you say.

So what is the social aspect if you're not connected with anyone?

This is a valid point. I am not the poster you are responding to but the top level poster. I too don’t follow people I know and perhaps that’s the difference from the social platforms. In that regard it is more like YouTube, but unlike YouTube, the algorithm isn’t radicalizing me other than making me want to learn guitar again.

So what is it about YouTube that makes people more likely to become radical incels willing to shoot up a school, and TikTok makes people more like to learn a new dance routine and leave with a smile?

Re: As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

#178

Post by voisin »

skinnymuch wrote: post #144
ThalesX wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TikTok is the only social media app I use anymore. I didn’t even change my default ‘user12345’ account nor have I linked anything to it. I also consume it differently than I used to do the others, by going maybe once per week or two and binge for a couple of hours. It fills me with joy and ideas just as you say.

How is it social media then?

I just replied to a similar sister comment.

Re: As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

#179

Post by OJFord »

lumost wrote: post #123
OJFord wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We won't really find out until there's a big European social media platform or whatever - I agree with you it's weird, but the obvious response (and you've received it) is along the lines of conjecturing that they wouldn't worry about UK-Tok, Têtebook, or Deutschezon. Maybe that's right. It'd be fun to find out. (Also for other reasons, come on, what's going on that there isn't really even one to name?)

There have been international competitors in key US industries for decades. The most that’s occurred has been bailouts of US heavy industry such as cars. Examples include Toyota, Ericsson, Sony, Hyundai, VW etc. When there are reciprocal markets between countries with similar approaches to government and law, there isn’t much of a problem. When one country adds tariffs, the other usually just matches them.

Of course but I'm talking about more consumer-facing (and.. 'interactive' in a way car manufacturers aren't) companies, social media, etc.

Closest I can think of are Ocado and Monzo, neither of which (especially the latter) are big enough to compare yet. Perhaps Just Eat (UberEats competitor) too which recently announced US partnership with Amazon. (Veering off-topic here but I've long been surprised that Deliveroo hasn't massively expanded globally? That's the dominant one in London at least, and very quickly ate Just Eat's lunch, which long predated it.)

Re: As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

#180

Post by aparticulate »

curious_cat_163 wrote: post #16
hunglee2 wrote: post #2

excellent article, surprisingly nuanced and - I think - fair in its analysis. The main fear is not that it is a foreign owned app - after all, most people in the countries all over the world are using foreign owned (US) apps - it is because it is the first non-US app used by US citizens which unnerves both the US government and US commentariat. Whether those fears are justified or not, I suspect US will follow the Ch…

I hope that the US doesn’t ban TikTok. That would be a very bad outcome for the concept of an open internet. I do think more regulation are likely in order. There are some very good arguments for not letting children under a certain age to be allowed on the social media platforms. However, the enforcement of those laws is spotty and is left to parental controls. What we need is an outbreak of social media literacy am…

>What we need is an outbreak of social media literacy among the youngest members of society. Like, this needs to be taught at school in first grade or something.

I use TikTok loads and I'm completely onboard with the idea that it's extremely concerning for democracy. Nuanced education doesn't help any more than it would for say, healthy eating advocacy vs fast food industry. We need carrot and stick approaches.

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