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FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

blog.malwarebytes.com

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Re: FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

#151

Of course not. Every government is going to look out for themselves. Following your reasoning, look at China. They have their own playbook for operating within China, and it is quite restrictive. They make it harder for foreign entities to do business within China. From a geopolitical viewpoint this makes complete sense. You don't want your rival to have a backdoor into influencing/manipulating/discovering how people…

> I want USA to do whatever it needs to be the top player Good for you, but try imagine hearing this from a Chinese national. "Whatever it needs" to do...

[deleted]

Re: FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no, in the west we see companies banning content, not the govt. pot, kettle.

What social media company in the US bans positive coverage of mRNA vaccines? In the US algorithms ban content, often by mistake. In China a political official or someone working for the government reviews the content personally. Big difference.

Algorithms are designed and tweaked by people who have biases and can be threatened by government officials or influenced by the media they consume which itself is majorly influenced by government organizations, lobbyist organizations, and corporate sponsors.

Also, who’s to judge that these poor algorithmic decisions are “mistakes” when only the companies are privy to the mechanics of the algorithm?

Re: FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

#153
post #56
post #10

I don't have a horse in this race at all, but the annoying part is that the same rules don't get applied across the board. Everything they're accusing TikTok of - from data harvesting to the government having access to said data - is true for western companies as well and that should be the problem. Not the fact that the data is now in the hands of the Chinese but that the data is being collected at all provided to t…

"I don't have a horse in this race, but (impassioned rant about what the horses should do, which ones should win or lose, and why...)" As consumers, we do have a horse in the race. I would cheer for the horse with fewer regulations, but that's just me...

I don't see the contradiction. You can have a strong opinion about something without being affected by its outcome.

Re: FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

#154
post #134

Of course not. Every government is going to look out for themselves. Following your reasoning, look at China. They have their own playbook for operating within China, and it is quite restrictive. They make it harder for foreign entities to do business within China. From a geopolitical viewpoint this makes complete sense. You don't want your rival to have a backdoor into influencing/manipulating/discovering how people…

Do you understand that your own government has even more power over you than a foreign one? It's in your best interest that no government collects this kind of data about you.

The principle here isn’t about what is in your interest…

Re: FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

#156

Of course not. Every government is going to look out for themselves. Following your reasoning, look at China. They have their own playbook for operating within China, and it is quite restrictive. They make it harder for foreign entities to do business within China. From a geopolitical viewpoint this makes complete sense. You don't want your rival to have a backdoor into influencing/manipulating/discovering how people…

> I want USA to do whatever it needs to be the top player Good for you, but try imagine hearing this from a Chinese national. "Whatever it needs" to do...

> "Whatever it needs" to do...

Like, for example, retake control of Taiwan.

https://eurasiantimes.com/perturbed-by-2nd-incursion-china-w...

Re: FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

#157
Quite right.

It's perfectly fine for our governments and corporations to work together to collect our data.

Western ethics dictate that its NOT ok for Eastern governments and corporations to work together and collect our data. That's a security risk.

For the individual, the analysis is clear. All government involvement is a security risk. The are all immoral, and seek ever greater control and power.

This is nothing about security (either represents an insecure position for the individual). This is about which government has greater power and control over individuals.

It's all so filthy...

Re: FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

#158
post #10

I don't have a horse in this race at all, but the annoying part is that the same rules don't get applied across the board. Everything they're accusing TikTok of - from data harvesting to the government having access to said data - is true for western companies as well and that should be the problem. Not the fact that the data is now in the hands of the Chinese but that the data is being collected at all provided to t…

FWIW, and this in no way defending western companies and governments, according to research, TikTok collects vastly more data that the worst western culprit - Facebook. Still, my guess is that additional data TikTok collects is probably not that important for the likes of FB and western governments, so perhaps it's a moot point.

Re: FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

#159
This seems an intractable mess.

- Our phone hardware and operating systems are intrinsically insecure.

- There is no practical/effective data gathering regulation (and I'm not sure it's possible to craft any without destroying innovation)

- All social media companies are doing it, leading to jeers of "hypocrisy!"

- All governments play the same games, reducing the arguments to "Whose side are you on?" That's effectively meaningless in a globalised world. The consequence is more nationalism and an ever more fragmented splinternet.

- The only proposed solutions amount to more authoritarian, controlling and regulatory responses.

What can we do?

There is a solution. Stop protecting these companies. Burn down WIPO. Tear up practically all "intellectual property" laws. Revoke millions of patents. Repeal all DCMA type laws regarding reverse engineering. Kick trademark and brand protection law to the curb.

The real problem is gargantuan monolithic, captive audiences that exist because incumbent monopolies enjoy protectionist measures that amount to a giant international trade racket.

Creating a real market that forces radical interoperability would solve many of the problems we see today. Who would care about TiKToK or Facebook if they were one of 500,000 small "Social Apps" that connected to a standardised international network.

Hell, we could even give it a catchy name, like "The Internet".

Re: FCC: TikTok is unacceptable security risk and should be removed from app stores

#160

Of course not. Every government is going to look out for themselves. Following your reasoning, look at China. They have their own playbook for operating within China, and it is quite restrictive. They make it harder for foreign entities to do business within China. From a geopolitical viewpoint this makes complete sense. You don't want your rival to have a backdoor into influencing/manipulating/discovering how people…

> I want USA to do whatever it needs to be the top player Good for you, but try imagine hearing this from a Chinese national. "Whatever it needs" to do...

Its exactly in line with what I said. End of the day, we're all on teams whether or not you like it.

And every single country on this planet has baggage. I have people in my family who are living who remember what it feels like to be considered sub-human by British imperialists as they allowed famines. On the grand scheme of things, if we add up the sins and good deeds, the USA has done more to improve the lives of people who are here than other places. It is one of the major reasons my family and I immigrated here. Is it perfect? No. But it is a place where a bunch of different types of people attempt to build something together. Gridlock sucks, sometimes it feels pretty awful, but just speaking personally for myself there's nowhere else in the world where someone like me (with my skin color, religious preferences, etc.) would be able to go as far, or further.

For all its faults, the USA has

- elected an African American president twice

- fought itself and destroyed its own people and cities over slavery

- helped stop 2 world wars

- most of the top companies and talent

- created a sense of world stability where people for the most part chill the f out when they see and want $USD

And it has also caused some problems along the way, I'm sure you can name many of them. But again, in 2022, when I do a simple calculation of where I (with my own baggage and attributes) would most prosper, I can't think of another country. I have been to Japan, loved it there, but it isn't the melting pot that America is. Again these are just my opinions, as someone who immigrated to the USA and is proud to call themselves a US citizen.

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