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TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

reuters.com

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Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#921

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't underestimate the human ability to "settle for less" if said less requires less effort from them. There's a reason people pay for Netflix despite pirating proposing a higher level of quality ; Netflix is just easier. They will settle for the "easy" solution, which will be any one of the TikTok clones already existing (YT shorts, reels, whatever).

Netflix is not easier, but marketed heavily and competition is censored in search results. Some random pirating streaming site is unknown and probably not even easily discoverable on google (you have to use yandex for that). I stick to pirating with adblockers because it is more convenient, there is a much bigger library of content and I don't have to share any personal info or pay for anything.

> Netflix is not easier, but marketed heavily and competition is censored in search results.

Did you just confirm the parent poster point while also denying it.

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#922

Given how easy it is for China to buy US data legally from data brokers and how similar the functionality of TikTok and YouTube Shorts, I feel like the only explanations are: 1. The govt is mad that a foreign company is outcompeting a domestic one Or more likely, given that there are so many other industries that didn't get a ban: 2. The govt is mad that they have control over the narrative on Facebook but do not on…

The big issue isn't data security; it's propaganda. Irrespective of whether the government has control of the narrative on Facebook (I would argue they pretty clearly don't) there is no reason to let a foreign adversary have a deniable propaganda line to millions of Americans. Would we have let the USSR acquire a major television network? And even if you disagree with the national security reasons for disallowing Chi…

Meanwhile the rest of the modern world is not banning apps because of propaganda. China and USA is.

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#923

I'm tearing my hair out... how is the solution here not just better data privacy laws? Doesn't that solve all the issues, both domestic and international?

Privacy is irrelevant in this case. It’s a free line of propaganda for almost all our youth at their most vulnerable age.

Yeah, at this age,they need to be fed only with US propaganda, just to be sure. Too bad that another country produced a better product to that demography.

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#924
post #328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ActivityPub is exactly that. Mastodon, Pleroma, Pixelfed, etc. What you're asking for exists.

It doesn't. I'm talking about true decentralization (peer to peer), not federation (the worst of both worlds). It should also be uncensorable and come with some implementation that does away entirely with the idea of "social media" or "microblogging". Just a better version of what the web 1.0 was.

What about Nostr?

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#925
post #115

"I would literally write my social security number on a sticky note and stick it to Xi Jinping's forehead than go back to using Instagram Reels" I saw this yesterday and it's hilarious but this is the feeling right now. TikTok has such a culture of authenticity and realness and Instagram is so phony and overly perfect (not to mention ads and so many bots and spam). It's like shutting down Reddit and telling everyone…

I wonder what would happen if we shut down all the socials. HN excluded of course.

that would be an extremely interesting experiment. Young people would probably feel completely lost, unsure of where to get "news" from. Actually having to go websites and search for stuff :)

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#926

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We certainly _do_ want this. I think the fact that we let a foreign company own a social media platform in the first place is preposterous. As others have said, we would never let the CCP own a TV broadcast, why should we let china own a major social media platform? That's just absurd.

You do realize that in vast majority of all countries, all major social media platforms are owned by foreign companies? There seems to be a real risk of propaganda on Tiktok, but foreign ownership alone isn't a sound reason for a ban.

Or should it be reason enough. The EU should ban Meta as well, no question. This foreign propaganda, risking mental health in teenagers and all that stuff is US propaganda shoved down our eyes.

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#927

US citizens do not want this. Every news article descending into tangents on any other point than that is part of why we can't have nice things. The whole country has turned into some sort of lower primate improv troupe where whatever stupid thing comes up gets a "Yes and let's" diversion instead of an adult in the room standing up and cutting the crap.

I’m a us citizen and I do want this. Speak for yourself. China bans us social media. Us should ban Chinese social media.

Where is that whataboutism coming from. What has the one to do with the other? Do you want a great Firewall for America? Is that what this is about?

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#928
post #222

Anyone remember when they were in school and adults tried to ban access to a popular website? I imagine this ban will go down exactly the same. Never underestimate a bored teenager's ability to bypass tech restrictions. Heck maybe this is what is needed to finally get a new generation out of the comforts of their tech walled garden and get their hands dirty.

When Ukraine banned russian social networks in 2015, all the teens had free FSB-sponsored VPNs running on their phones in no time. Like, almost 100% of them. In mere days. Now leaking not just the social network data to russia, but rather the entirety of their traffic.

Let's see if US teenagers are as savvy and motivated.

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#929

Banning individual apps in this manner is wrong, IMO. In a country where concepts like freedom of speech and restrictions on government censorship are not insignificant considerations (in theory, at a minimum) a decision like this is unfortunate. China bans apps... tons of apps... in order to maintain strict control over the content and identity of users. This strategy is not something the US should be mimicking. The…

If they would ban what they think tiktok does wrong. Mr Zuckerberg would be very sad I guess.

But so much this, just banning TikTok will change nothing but more distrust in American politics

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#930
post #710
post #115

"I would literally write my social security number on a sticky note and stick it to Xi Jinping's forehead than go back to using Instagram Reels" I saw this yesterday and it's hilarious but this is the feeling right now. TikTok has such a culture of authenticity and realness and Instagram is so phony and overly perfect (not to mention ads and so many bots and spam). It's like shutting down Reddit and telling everyone…

> I would literally write my social security number on a sticky note and stick it to Xi Jinping's forehead Somewhat paradoxically, I am actually more comfortable giving out private data to foreign countries than my own. I mean, what is Xi Jinping going to do with a US social security number? If I am in the US, it will be hard for bad people in China to reach me, because there is a border between the two countries, in…

Exactly. There are people deleting menstrual tracker apps in the US because the information might be used against them by law enforcement. But what's the risk to them of the Chinese government having that? Other than turning it over to the US authorities, of course.
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