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The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

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Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#181

Post by Workaccount2 »

zug_zug wrote: post #134
p0pcult wrote: post #106

A recent tiktok trend hitting my city and others seems to be calling in/airdropping/swatting/posting active shooter threats at local schools. So far, this has shut down my kid's school several times this year. TikTok gets to be the vector for this new scale of virality, America loses future economic competitiveness. Who is the winner in this scenario? https://www.spieltimes.com/news/what-is-tiktoks-active-shoot... ht…

What's the connection to China? Is there a belief that China was slower at removing these videos that an American firm would be? Because that's the substantive question.

The Chinese government owns tiktok. The algorithm that decides what videos americans will consume is signed off on by the Chinese government.

That is an enormous national security threat.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#182

Post by Workaccount2 »

God the whataboutism that pops up everytime tiktok is discussed is suffocating.

Some people are just so desperately trying to divert attention away from it and others are trying to hijack the movement to make it into some kind of constitutional level privacy reform.

Tiktok can die, everything will be fine, and then we can focus on our own issues here.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#183

Post by LexGray »

zug_zug wrote: post #134
p0pcult wrote: post #106

A recent tiktok trend hitting my city and others seems to be calling in/airdropping/swatting/posting active shooter threats at local schools. So far, this has shut down my kid's school several times this year. TikTok gets to be the vector for this new scale of virality, America loses future economic competitiveness. Who is the winner in this scenario? https://www.spieltimes.com/news/what-is-tiktoks-active-shoot... ht…

What's the connection to China? Is there a belief that China was slower at removing these videos that an American firm would be? Because that's the substantive question.

The main connection I believe is exploiting xenophobia with he goal of internet gatekeeping. There are always those wary of outside influences destroying local culture.

Still, even if they are the best at removing videos, they are also the best at breeding new issues which go viral before they are even recognized as a threat and siloing that content so only people vulnerable are exposed. A second possibility is that they may be creating a forum of disruptive content on purpose to keep people distracted with local issues. Additionally there are foreign agents, trolls acting from patriotic intent or even those who are paid, seeking to encourage problem activity or create anti-government movements.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#185

Post by kube-system »

jasonlotito wrote: post #135
solardev wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China isn't going to listen to your rules. Ban whatever you want, Chinese companies don't have to comply, and don't have to tell you when they're not complying... Unless you audit every foreign app's source code and sign its binaries, those laws are meaningless. And if you do that you're really just swapping foreign advertising for domestic wiretapping. shrug Lose-lose.

> China isn't going to listen to your rules And then they are banned. Not because they are China or TikTok, but because they break specific rules we hold everyone to.

Espionage is covert by definition, and is already illegal. Spies break foreign laws as a part of their job description, and yet, they still exist.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#186

Post by computerfriend »

mc32 wrote: post #80
pjc50 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Would the FCC allow a VoRussia or VoChina radio transmitter in the US whose sole purpose was to push Chinese or Russian propaganda? I'm sure they already do? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT_America was operating right up until the imposition of sanctions.

Yeah, but that was more akin to the BBC or even Xinhua. I mean a specifically propagandist station like the VoA or RFE. But that said, looks like all the Biden admin needs to do is set up some sanctions (for whatever reason) and put TT under that umbrella and voila!

The BBC and Xinhua are nothing at all alike.

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#187

Post by pjc50 »

solardev wrote: post #126
pjc50 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

China isn't going to listen to your rules. Ban whatever you want, Chinese companies don't have to comply, and don't have to tell you when they're not complying... Unless you audit every foreign app's source code and sign its binaries, those laws are meaningless. And if you do that you're really just swapping foreign advertising for domestic wiretapping. shrug Lose-lose.

> Unless you audit every app's source code and sign its binaries

Isn't that called "an app store"? Good luck getting non-signed binaries on an iPhone.

My point is that if TikTok is somehow able to escape its sandbox and perform surveillance, that's a fault in the sandbox, and there should be a general process for handling this otherwise you just have to deal with the next week's app "TokTik".

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#188

Post by computerfriend »

est wrote: post #174
samatman wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is, rather, evidence (as though we needed it) that Myspace isn't a social network.

Explain Linkedin.com then? It also works 100% well in China.

It's shut down.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58911297

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#189

Post by pjc50 »

amelius wrote: post #138
pjc50 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

> ban surveillance by apps ==>> How??? <<==

Isn't that the point of the sandbox?

Re: The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

#190

Post by kube-system »

thesuitonym wrote: post #161
amelius wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ban surveillance by apps ==>> How??? <<==

Levy fines on app stores that allow surveillance apps.

How would an App Store possibly know? Surveillance often happens out of band, and under foreign jurisdiction. The apps themselves may not even know or may be prohibited from disclosing it.
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