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The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

npr.org

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Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#51

Post by angio »

laputan_machine wrote: post #9
vachina wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder why when China does this it’s always a bad thing. Isn’t the inverse also true i.e. western media influencing and nudging narratives, except that we can actually observe this happening right now. Where do you stand in that case?

China is under the rule of the CCP, an authortarian party to which you cannot challenge. For all democracy's failings, for the mess the US is in, and rise of populist parties in Europe, it is still freedom.

Ironically, right wing parties in the EU rose thanks to disinformation on american social media. Following this discussion's logic, Facebook and Twitter should have been banned in the EU a long time ago.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#52

Post by mattgperry »

weego wrote: post #22
darkteflon wrote: post #12

Utterly ridiculous to allow TikTok to continue to operate in the current geopolitical climate. China is a surveillance autocracy and has been engaged in adversarial conduct against the West for years - including extensive psyops. Shut it down, yesterday. Build a local clone so that people can get their fix or whatever. China sure as shit doesn’t allow its citizens to cough up their personal information for algorithmi…

The US is a surveillance pseudo-democracy. The problem here being this time they can't insert themselves into the surveillance pipeline. They're not better or worse (unless you're fine with your own Govt surveilling you but not another state), just not the status quo.

They are better though? People don't routinely go disappearing (at least on the same scale) and there are free and (mostly) fair elections. It isn't perfect but it isn't the same beast.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#53

Post by dd36 »

mistermann wrote: post #16
laputan_machine wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China is under the rule of the CCP, an authortarian party to which you cannot challenge. For all democracy's failings, for the mess the US is in, and rise of populist parties in Europe, it is still freedom.

Does the US public have any genuine, identifiable democratic power over the FBI?

Absolutely. The FBI head must be appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. Oversight is performed by Congress. He can be fired.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#55

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 »

mc32 wrote: post #24
soup10 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure that US really wants to set a precedent of protectionism when so many large US technology companies operate globally.

We're among the least protectionist -not to say we are not protectionist, but comparatively. Others have set the precedent for us. They need no examples or encouragement. That said, yes, the 1A implications are thorny.

1A was not written so that hostile foreign governments can flood your zone with shit.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#56

Post by pjc50 »

darkteflon wrote: post #12

Utterly ridiculous to allow TikTok to continue to operate in the current geopolitical climate. China is a surveillance autocracy and has been engaged in adversarial conduct against the West for years - including extensive psyops. Shut it down, yesterday. Build a local clone so that people can get their fix or whatever. China sure as shit doesn’t allow its citizens to cough up their personal information for algorithmi…

sigh can we not have targeted-by-nationality bans and instead have .. rules?

If Tiktok the app is performing surveillance, ban surveillance by apps. All of them. Or make it technically impossible to escape its little sandbox, and let people have their entertainment.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#57

Post by pozdnyshev »

dahfizz wrote: post #29
weego wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is a surveillance pseudo-democracy. The problem here being this time they can't insert themselves into the surveillance pipeline. They're not better or worse (unless you're fine with your own Govt surveilling you but not another state), just not the status quo.

This is absurd, frankly. "The US government collects taxes on US citizens, why not let China collect taxes on US citizens? Its the same." "The US government throws US citizens in jail, why not let Chine throw US citizens in jail? Its the same." Yeah, it would be great if the Federal government turned down their surveillance. That doesn't make it okay for China to run psy-ops against us.

No post body was provided.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#58

Post by squarefoot »

I can't imagine their reaction when they discover that so many IP cameras/NVR/DVR have been and still are being used as surveillance devices, and in some cases they have been hacked to either phone home (China?) video feeds, or as botnet hosts.

https://hacked.camera/

http://www.insecam.org/en/

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#59

Post by dd36 »

tenebrisalietum wrote: post #18
Reason077 wrote: post #2

Besides the obvious concerns about tracking/spying, TikTok has great potential as a propaganda tool to gain subtle influence over America's youth. For example, its algorithm could be tweaked to elevate content that is favourable to the Chinese Communist Party.

TikTok can't do anything worse than domestic advertising/marketing firms already do. The idea that the CCP wants American youth for any purpose that doesn't already align with American businesses--who depend on the slave-labor priced cheap stuff from China to sell to them--is ridiculous.

China wants internal conflict that weakens the country or destroys democracy. Social media can be weaponized to do this. Foreign media ownership limits are not novel.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#60

Post by pjc50 »

dahfizz wrote: post #29
weego wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is a surveillance pseudo-democracy. The problem here being this time they can't insert themselves into the surveillance pipeline. They're not better or worse (unless you're fine with your own Govt surveilling you but not another state), just not the status quo.

This is absurd, frankly. "The US government collects taxes on US citizens, why not let China collect taxes on US citizens? Its the same." "The US government throws US citizens in jail, why not let Chine throw US citizens in jail? Its the same." Yeah, it would be great if the Federal government turned down their surveillance. That doesn't make it okay for China to run psy-ops against us.

https://www.newsy.com/stories/american-athlete-shares-experi...

(and obviously if you're a US national in China you'll pay Chinese and US taxes, because of the weird extraterritorial taxation of the US)

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