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Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

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Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#861

Post by throwaway_jeff »

gigatexal wrote: post #809

I see this as a national security threat that it is. The potential for abuse from the CCP on the minds of US users exists as does the tracking the app could do and every data point that is generated is stored and potentially useful for blackmail or otherwise on members of Congress or others. The US and its allies got rid of Chinese telecom hardware from their networks for the very same reasons now it’s time to do the…

The problem is with the bill being legal.

For example, US citizens are free to listen to chinese radio stations, or chinese TV channels, read chinese books. Why the government needs to restrict what US citizens have access to in this specific case?

Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#862

Post by LudwigNagasena »

kube-system wrote: post #291
LordShredda wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is pretty much a ban. Why would the company convert their main product into a competitor? Majority of congress isn't stupid and knows what they want to happen.

We didn't call the baby-bells an AT&T ban.

Because it was more than a mere ban, AT&T was dissolved.

Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#863

Post by hnpolicestate »

asadotzler wrote: post #780
jquery wrote: post #365

I don't use TikTok, but I strongly disapprove of this. Feels like we've stooped to China's level when it comes to free speech? All this has done is validate them banning Google and Facebook. What a petty move. I understand the theoretical security concerns, but this feels like total overkill.

This is either a bullshit argument or a wildly uninformed opinion. We've been banning foreign ownership of TV and radio in the US since 1934. How is this any different?

This isn't accurate. The government has never banned Americans from watching a foreign television show or listening to a foreign radio broadcast. Please don't distort history.

Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#864

Post by throwaway4good »

gigatexal wrote: post #809

I see this as a national security threat that it is. The potential for abuse from the CCP on the minds of US users exists as does the tracking the app could do and every data point that is generated is stored and potentially useful for blackmail or otherwise on members of Congress or others. The US and its allies got rid of Chinese telecom hardware from their networks for the very same reasons now it’s time to do the…

This is the idea of the "clean network" originally brought forward by Trump.

Basically all tech is clean and ok if comes from the good guys (the US and allies) and unclean if it comes from the bad guys (China, Russia ...).

IMHO a sad state of affairs. We would be at a healthier and less hypocritical place if our tech was secure by design, and suppliers and platforms were subject to open objective criteria and rule of law wrt. censorship and surveillance.

Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#865

Post by severino »

tadasZ wrote: post #832
fallingfrog wrote: post #820

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This whole thing is baffling to me. What are you talking about? What enemy? I would rather someone in China has my information than my own government. China has no power over me; my own government does. I don’t care if china knows whether I like cheesecake better than blueberry pie. They’re interested in monitoring their own citizens, im sure- for the same reasons our own government agencies and corporate behemoths m…

i don't think "cold war is over", in a way it is, but the amount of propaganda tik toks blows my mind and the most important thing is - it's so one sided, that i fully support this bill/law or what it is, EU should do something too.

> i fully support this bill/law or what it is, EU should do something too.

Reading your comment, it's pretty obvious that we should do something about propaganda here in the EU. About US propaganda I mean.

Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#866

Post by throwaway4good »

noobermin wrote: post #842
gigatexal wrote: post #809

I see this as a national security threat that it is. The potential for abuse from the CCP on the minds of US users exists as does the tracking the app could do and every data point that is generated is stored and potentially useful for blackmail or otherwise on members of Congress or others. The US and its allies got rid of Chinese telecom hardware from their networks for the very same reasons now it’s time to do the…

To be honest, the use of the word "enemy" is far too strong, it sounds like we are at war with them while they somehow supply half of our goods at prices we've grown accustomed to. "Adversary" is a weaker word that is more apt (which you use later), where the US is not on the friendliest terms with China but isn't in an outright war with them. Words matter, at the very least to avoid starting nationalistic flamewars…

The US has an official list of enemies and that includes China. I believe the list was introduced under Trump and is determined by the sitting president:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-15/subtitle-A/part-7/subp...

Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#867

Post by hnpolicestate »

throwaway_jeff wrote: post #861
gigatexal wrote: post #809

I see this as a national security threat that it is. The potential for abuse from the CCP on the minds of US users exists as does the tracking the app could do and every data point that is generated is stored and potentially useful for blackmail or otherwise on members of Congress or others. The US and its allies got rid of Chinese telecom hardware from their networks for the very same reasons now it’s time to do the…

The problem is with the bill being legal. For example, US citizens are free to listen to chinese radio stations, or chinese TV channels, read chinese books. Why the government needs to restrict what US citizens have access to in this specific case?

The bill is unconstitutional. See the recent Montana ruling.

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-and-eff-applaud-rul...

Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#868

Post by throwaway4good »

returningfory2 wrote: post #38

The work "ban" is in scare quotes for a reason. The law doesn't ban TikTok. Rather, it bans TikTok from having Chinese owners. If the law stands, the end result will likely be that TikTok will be sold to US owners, rather than TikTok going away. It's surprising to me that this this pretty significant distinction has been glossed over both in media reporting and in general comments here on HN. To be clear, I'm not sup…

I don't think it is possible or economically viable for ByteDance to sell TikTok under the terms set out, even if they wanted. Because of the shared code base with Douyin and the bill's requirements on severing ties between the two.

The likely outcome is that TikTok will stop operating in the US and continue in Europe and other places plus Douyin will continue in China.

Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#869

Post by FactKnower69 »

nyokodo wrote: post #837
logicchains wrote: post #814

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I see this as a national security threat that it is. The US government is a far greater danger to the average American than the Chinese government is, and this bill just gives even more power to the US government to dominate its citizens.

> The US government is a far greater danger to the average American than the Chinese government is The US government could, if it wanted to, slaughter the entire civilian population of the US right now and no one could stop them. I don’t believe for a second that China would be so restrained if it suddenly had that power over the USA. So, while it’s true that having the power that it does makes the US government a po…

>The US government could, if it wanted to, slaughter the entire civilian population of the US right now and no one could stop them. I don’t believe for a second that China would be so restrained if it suddenly had that power over the USA.

What the fuck are you talking about???

Re: Biden signs TikTok bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest

#870

Post by talldatethrow »

throwaway4good wrote: post #864
gigatexal wrote: post #809

I see this as a national security threat that it is. The potential for abuse from the CCP on the minds of US users exists as does the tracking the app could do and every data point that is generated is stored and potentially useful for blackmail or otherwise on members of Congress or others. The US and its allies got rid of Chinese telecom hardware from their networks for the very same reasons now it’s time to do the…

This is the idea of the "clean network" originally brought forward by Trump. Basically all tech is clean and ok if comes from the good guys (the US and allies) and unclean if it comes from the bad guys (China, Russia ...). IMHO a sad state of affairs. We would be at a healthier and less hypocritical place if our tech was secure by design, and suppliers and platforms were subject to open objective criteria and rule of…

My local library blocks Yandex but allows the Daily Stormer when using their wifi.
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