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TikTok goes dark in the US

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Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#561

Post by genocidicbunny »

pseingatl wrote: post #522

[flagged]

As far as I am aware, you're still allowed to talk about all of those things? Has someone been prosecuted for speaking about any of those things? Like, actual criminal charges pressed for specifically speaking about those things?

Freedom of speech is not freedom to demand a platform to speak in. You don't have a constitutional right to a soapbox, just one to not be prosecuted for speaking from a soapbox you found. And unless you own said soapbox, you're relying on the owner of the soapbox to continue to allow you to use it.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#562

Post by infecto »

Where I struggle with the narrative that I see often on here is regarding free speech, the idea that this is 1984/Animal Farm or some kind of antidemocratic action. The CCP has tight control over every company in mainland China. Until you can prove to me that the US government is controlling Meta, any of the whataboutism is just pointless. China is a fairly nefarious actor on the world stage, they grip media with an iron fist and within the country there is no room for swaying opinions, country and party first. ByteDance US had years to figure out an IPO or another way to divest controlling ownership from its mainland counterpart. They did nothing and only argued on free speech. The decision was not one of rational economic thinking, which makes you wonder what they want to achieve.

China does play a real threat to American and other western interests and has done so for many years. If you have evidence that ByteDance is not controlled by the CCP or that the CCP has not very openly played many games both economically, politically and socially I would be happy to see that evidence.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#563

Post by sethammons »

gundmc wrote: post #242
gdubs wrote: post #224

I think a lot of people on here never spent much time on TikTok and it shows. It wasn't just for young people and it wasn't all brain rot. There were vibrant communities, subcultures. Real issues were aired there. Real people connected. From the early days of Covid it provided a window into a broader world.

Can you give some examples? I a skeptical that the format, designed for maximum retention and engagement, can be a positive.

Knot tying, woodman tips and tricks, off grid tips, cooking (from basic knife holding to now knowing what a roux is, and how to properly make a gumbo my kids love), stories from people I would never have known, movie trivia, historical accounts, and being exposed to music I would never have otherwise found.

I truly feel a loss. I have changed aspects of my daily life for the better due to TikTok.

And I also watched too many cute animals and "don't talk to cops" videos.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#564

Post by Omatic810 »

junto wrote: post #514
pknerd wrote: post #495

From CBSNews: > U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that TikTok threatens national security because the Chinese government could use it as a vehicle to spy on Americans or covertly influence the U.S. public by amplifying or suppressing certain content. In other words, US officials are scared that China is going to do what the USA has been doing with American social media apps in various countries

This ^^ And if the U.S. does ban TikTok then it sets a precedent that other countries can ban U.S. and Chinese social media apps in the same manner. Europe for example.

What stopped other countries from doing just that before?

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#565

Post by DavidPiper »

psiconaut wrote: post #480

There's an interesting cognitive bias in the western media that tends to define freedom of the press (and freedom of expression) as exactly what is perceived as freedom in this side of the iron curtain. Libgen domains are "seized", and tiktok "goes dark", but of course other countries "censor" porn or news outlets. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Press_Freedom_Index

I agree with your linguistic point and the interaction of bias and ideology.

It's probably worth adding, though, that Libgen, TikTok, Porn and News Outlets would all be censored/banned/deliberately-excluded-from-culture-by-people-with-legitimate-power for different reasons.

I think TikTok and News Outlets would be the most closely aligned in this sense.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#566

Post by crazylogger »

burgerrito wrote: post #552

Not my country so I couldn't care less. Just my observation from two oceans away: US is a hypocrite. How about Meta and other US companies? Those companies does the same if not worse damage to your citizen.

IMO Pandora's box is now open, and it's a matter of time before we see countries around the world offer the same divest-or-ban choice to Meta, Google, etc. The question is who first and how quickly it will happen.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#567

Post by valdiorn »

amatecha wrote: post #375
daemoens wrote: post #231

The app was shutdown a couple of hours ago in the US and this was the message all TikTok users saw when they opened the app.[1] The same guy who pushed for a ban massively last year, is going to save the app despite the security concerns he and most of our government said they had. If only we knew what happened in that classified briefing that made them vote together across party lines. [1] https://a57.foxnews.com/st…

I wonder how much ByteDance got from the incoming administration to pull that stunt. Super shady. "We voluntarily shut down our service in your country (er, I mean, we HAD TO, for real!) but don't worry, a true hero is soon arriving to save the day!"

I mean, if I was bytedance I would do that free of charge to make the outgoing administration look like muppets :)

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#569

Post by danielbln »

fqye wrote: post #426
Karrot_Kream wrote: post #116

The coverage of TikTok's closure on this site is just sort of tabloid at this point. The culture of HN ceteris paribus hates social media significantly more than the average person. That and its western bias makes questions about the TikTok ban's effects on this site really silly. The folks here are probably some of the most opinionated, least impartial voices to discuss this issue with. A discussion about the ban's…

Some opinions here are super ignorant. Yes Tiktok has lots of silly videos but it also is a way for many talented people to reach their audience. Many small business owners and indie artists depend on it to make a living.

Wouldn't those creators just shift to Shorts and Reels?

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#570

Post by chgs »

popcalc wrote: post #441
mediumsmart wrote: post #135

Always nice to see the American population kept safe from propaganda, affordable rents, a working healthcare system and fresh food for 90 cents.

LoL you have to bribe doctors to take care of you in not only China but also multiple EU countries: Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania.

I only have experience with Greece and that’s certainly not true.

It’s not perfect, for cancer treatment a family friend had to drive 100 miles to the nearest major hospital, but that’s more of a rural thing.

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