There are tons of valid criticism for the US intelligence community, but when it isn't agenda driven they can be right about a lot of things, for example knowing that Russia was preparing to invade Ukraine.
ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
141–150 of 501 posts
Re: ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
When US bans something to protect itself, that’s OK, but when another country does it, it’s a suppression of free speech and freedoms and whatnot. Doesn’t this sound a bit off ?
Good things are good, evil things are evil. This detached observer way of looking at the world is mind boggling. There is nothing contradictory about arguing for the good and arguing against the evil. I think this mindset stems from a fundamental uncertainty in our values, and conclude that our values are just as good as any others. It’s simply not true. No. TikTok is run by a state hostile to the ideals of freedom a…
Your comment only makes sense since you are an american. The entire premise of your argument completely false a part when you have actually experienced what the "goodness" of america, say in the middle east, means.
Re: ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
#143Earlier quoted context omitted.
We should do both. This is detracting from the fact that we have an actively hostile actor with a huge platform here in our country, and that needs to be handled as soon as possible. I totally support broad regulation of privacy law. TikTok is a much deeper concern. I don't like seeing a good cause used to distract from another good cause.
I often wonder why the average american should be more concerned about China than the CIA or FBI? the FBI has the power to put me in a cage, China does not... I am confused as why china is a bigger threat to me personally than the FBI?
The FBI and CIA have both good and bad effects on a US resident whereas China's national security establishment has only bad effects (if it has any significant effects).
There is no disadvantage to a US resident from stopping them from spying on US residents. Both the law-and-order type of US voter and the don't-tread-on-me type agree on that.
Re: ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
#144We need a law to generally make this illegal. Uber did the same thing and Tesla hired PIs to do it.
Laws are meaningless without enforcement, and good luck getting US law enforcement to enforce laws that they themselves are breaking routinely. We need a whole culture shift in government if we're going to have any hope of fixing this.
I generally agree, but that's no reason why we shouldn't push for a law banning use of private data like this now. It seems like a first step towards that culture shift we want. And even if enforcement of this new law is lacking, I bet in the TikTok situation the US gov we be happy to enforce it.
Re: ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
Depends hugely on who you are and what happens with the politics. CIA and FBI are very big threats to you, which is why you vote regularly to ensure that your rights are represented and those agencies aren't able to abuse their power. China is a much more distant and abstract, but much more serious threat. If the FBI or CIA fucks up, they will put let's say 10% of people in prison for opposition to the state. If Chin…
>>which is why you vote regularly to ensure that your rights are represented and those agencies aren't able to abuse their power That never works out in practice as the administrative state (which includes the FBI and CIA) are soo far removed from representative government they are basically unaccountable at this point, that is with out even getting into the idea that 1 vote in a nation of 350 million plus holds no r…
> "Democracy" is more or less an delusion those in power perpetuate to ensure the cattle think they have a choice
I had a much larger post, but I'm going to only respond to this one now, because it sums up basically off the disagreements and no further discussion is going to resolve anything.
I don't agree with this sort of cynicism at all, and I very much do believe that while it is very flawed, democracy ultimately is still doing its job.
Re: ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
It sure smells like it when you're using terminology outdated by 30 years. Don't use anachronisms if you don't want people to think you're anachronistic. You may as well call Russians "Soviets". Yes, it's many of the same people in the same buildings, doing the same sort of bullshit. But they aren't called Soviets anymore and if you go around calling them Soviets, you'll going to have people think that you're stuck i…
Do you insist people refer to the company who Mark Zuckerberg is CEO of as Meta? And correct people who speak of 'Google stock'?
Broken analogy; "Facebook" still exists and their CEO is still Mark Zuckerberg; the fact that Facebook is now owned by Meta hasn't changed this; the name "Facebook" was not discontinued. "Google stock" is an anarchonism, but at least "Google" still exists.
The KGB doesn't exist anymore. They are now the FSB. The "KGB" still exists in the same sense that "The Soviets" still exist, neither call themselves that anymore, nor do they have any subsidiaries called that.
Re: ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you insist people refer to the company who Mark Zuckerberg is CEO of as Meta? And correct people who speak of 'Google stock'?
Broken analogy; "Facebook" still exists and their CEO is still Mark Zuckerberg; the fact that Facebook is now owned by Meta hasn't changed this; the name "Facebook" was not discontinued. "Google stock" is an anarchonism, but at least "Google" still exists. The KGB doesn't exist anymore. They are now the FSB. The "KGB" still exists in the same sense that "The Soviets" still exist, neither call themselves that anymore,…
Belarusian intelligence is still the KGB
Re: ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
That was revealed several years before Snowden's defection.
And yet nothing was done about it.
Nor since.
ProAm clarified that these were intended as two separate examples, so fair enough. It just rubs me the wrong way when people seem to give credit to Snowden for revealing things which were already known.
Re: ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
Broken analogy; "Facebook" still exists and their CEO is still Mark Zuckerberg; the fact that Facebook is now owned by Meta hasn't changed this; the name "Facebook" was not discontinued. "Google stock" is an anarchonism, but at least "Google" still exists. The KGB doesn't exist anymore. They are now the FSB. The "KGB" still exists in the same sense that "The Soviets" still exist, neither call themselves that anymore,…
Belarusian intelligence is still the KGB
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Re: ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists’ physical location
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
We should do both. This is detracting from the fact that we have an actively hostile actor with a huge platform here in our country, and that needs to be handled as soon as possible. I totally support broad regulation of privacy law. TikTok is a much deeper concern. I don't like seeing a good cause used to distract from another good cause.
I often wonder why the average american should be more concerned about China than the CIA or FBI? the FBI has the power to put me in a cage, China does not... I am confused as why china is a bigger threat to me personally than the FBI?
In Australia, the Chinese government has been very aggressive with our citizens.
- Students have had family members back in China threatened with imprisonment for merely attending protests.
- Journalists have been kidnapped and are still missing.
- Other individuals have been monitored by local embassy staff.
- Businesses have seen markets arbitrarily cut-off for any form of criticism.
Just because you have not been personally threatened doesn't mean others haven't.