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Microsoft Statement on TikTok

blogs.microsoft.com

51–60 of 116 posts

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#51
post #22

> We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok’s users, while protecting national security interests Does anyone seriously believe TikTok is a threat to national security? > combatting disinformation There you have it. I've seen TikTok videos go viral being really critical of the US government including its foreign policy. The kind of video that would just be invisible or outright banned from Youtube…

I think the main issue is this: The US views Chinese social media apps as being able to spread criticism (and most likely propaganda) and the US can’t do likewise in China, so they’ll just not let Chinese social media companies operate in the US until that changes. There will be 0 official, influential Chinese social media companies operating in the US on a permanent basis until the CCP let’s US social media companie…

Have you seen the anti-US sentiment being stoked on TikTok among our nation's zoomers?

"All buildings matter" and "all days in September matter" are just two recent memes from the past month.

TikTok is doing a lot of harm to our national image. Zoomers that I know don't think it's important for the US to have a lead in tech and that we commit atrocities worse than China.

It's pretty alarming that we're being manipulated whereas China and Russia are impenetrable.

Social media in the hands of state actors may be one of the greatest dangers to democracy yet.

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#52

> We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok’s users, while protecting national security interests Does anyone seriously believe TikTok is a threat to national security? > combatting disinformation There you have it. I've seen TikTok videos go viral being really critical of the US government including its foreign policy. The kind of video that would just be invisible or outright banned from Youtube…

> The kind of video that would just be invisible or outright banned from Youtube or Facebook video

What critique of the US government would be banned on those platforms?

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#53

> We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok’s users, while protecting national security interests Does anyone seriously believe TikTok is a threat to national security? > combatting disinformation There you have it. I've seen TikTok videos go viral being really critical of the US government including its foreign policy. The kind of video that would just be invisible or outright banned from Youtube…

> Does anyone seriously believe TikTok is a threat to national security?

I don't have enough information to know whether it's a threat, but yes, I think it's reasonable to be concerned.

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#54
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does look like it. https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-drops-out-of-bidding-...

That's so...odd. When I think Oracle, I think old suits selling boring old tech. Not 12 year olds twerking and/or pretending to be killed at Auschwitz(yes, a real trend).

The reason for the purchase appears simple: They believe there is money to be made.

Of course that would rely on good execution.

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#55
post #51
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the main issue is this: The US views Chinese social media apps as being able to spread criticism (and most likely propaganda) and the US can’t do likewise in China, so they’ll just not let Chinese social media companies operate in the US until that changes. There will be 0 official, influential Chinese social media companies operating in the US on a permanent basis until the CCP let’s US social media companie…

Have you seen the anti-US sentiment being stoked on TikTok among our nation's zoomers? " All buildings matter " and " all days in September matter " are just two recent memes from the past month. TikTok is doing a lot of harm to our national image. Zoomers that I know don't think it's important for the US to have a lead in tech and that we commit atrocities worse than China. It's pretty alarming that we're being mani…

You’re probably right based on the amount of downvotes you’re getting. I don’t use TikTok or much in the way of social media, but if you’re saying it’s true, with a reasonable conjecture and you’re getting downvoted I think the probability of you being correct is increased.

It’s not so much that you actually are right, but that you’re exposing a contrarian idea that doesn’t align with either CCP apologists or certain leftists in the US, so they’ll try to silence comments like yours (and mine) to make it appear that they aren’t popular or worth discussing.

(you’ll see a subsequent increase in downvotes for me too for expressing interest).

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#56
Frankly, I don't give a shit about the national interest of the US or the national interest of China. As a user of tiktok, I enjoy the content and I will be saddened if it shuts down. We like to think of our country as our team, and to root for it in international struggles, but the reality is that it's the average consumer that gets harmed by these power struggles between nations. These economic proxy wars are just as much of a racket as conventional wars, and the sooner we stop allowing the few to rule the many, and play out their egoic power struggles with our lives, the better.

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#57
post #22

> We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok’s users, while protecting national security interests Does anyone seriously believe TikTok is a threat to national security? > combatting disinformation There you have it. I've seen TikTok videos go viral being really critical of the US government including its foreign policy. The kind of video that would just be invisible or outright banned from Youtube…

I think the main issue is this: The US views Chinese social media apps as being able to spread criticism (and most likely propaganda) and the US can’t do likewise in China, so they’ll just not let Chinese social media companies operate in the US until that changes. There will be 0 official, influential Chinese social media companies operating in the US on a permanent basis until the CCP let’s US social media companie…

>I think the main issue is this: >The US views Chinese social media apps as being able to spread criticism (and most likely propaganda) and the US can’t do likewise in China, so they’ll just not let Chinese social media companies operate in the US until that changes.

Then why force them to sell to a US company specifically. Why wasn't Germany or any EU company with strong privacy laws allowed to buy them?

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#58
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Does anyone seriously believe TikTok is a threat to national security? Everyone who believes Facebook was used to influence the 2016 election should believe TikTok poses a similar threat. I'd agree that the threat is overblown, but many serious people, in good faith, seriously believe it.

But then this is evidence that whether it’s an American company or Chinese company has little import on its ability to subvert elections.

It's not evidence of anything because it's possible Facebook's ability to subvert elections could have been even more damaging if it were controlled directly by a foreign power.

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#59
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's so...odd. When I think Oracle, I think old suits selling boring old tech. Not 12 year olds twerking and/or pretending to be killed at Auschwitz(yes, a real trend).

yeah.. lots of head scratching when I saw that announcement.

Larry Ellison supports Trump and has raised funds in the past for him. Oracle also has hired lobbyists who were classmates of Pompeo or are related to advisors to Trump.

That may reduce the head scratching about how Oracle got its hand on TikTok. As to the other hand scratching of why, well, my guess is that it's selling for cheap enough that it doesn't matter and orcale wants to have a consumer product similar to the league of FAANG.

Re: Microsoft Statement on TikTok

#60

> We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok’s users, while protecting national security interests Does anyone seriously believe TikTok is a threat to national security? > combatting disinformation There you have it. I've seen TikTok videos go viral being really critical of the US government including its foreign policy. The kind of video that would just be invisible or outright banned from Youtube…

> There you have it. I've seen TikTok videos go viral being really critical of the US government including its foreign policy. The kind of video that would just be invisible or outright banned from Youtube or Facebook video. That's why they want to get rid of it.

Videos such as? Seems to me that the kind of videos banned on Youtube, Twitter or Facebook aren't really the ones that are really critical of the US government, especially the executive branch.

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