Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

601–610 of 769 posts

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#601

Post by Zak »

flkenosad wrote: post #459

I really hate how people are arguing that it should be banned because of the content being inappropriate in one way or another when the content you see is based on how you interact with the app. We don't all see the same stuff. So yeah China may have more educational content but that's probably just becuase the people there are interested in that stuff. When I travel to the mountains, I get more outdoorsy/hiking vide…

Engagement driven algorithms do not necessarily show what users are consciously interested in, but what they subconsciously can't turn away from. You are probably a well-regulated, internet-savvy adult who easily recognizes engagement bait and knows to swipe away form it quickly to train the algorithm to stop showing it to you. People arguing for a ban are probably concerned about how it affects those who are not so regulated using logic similar to arguments for banning drugs.

I do not share that position, but I'm inclined to support some weakening of platform immunity for services that use an individualized recommendation algorithm to maximize engagement.

I did not quickly find an authoritative source, but it is widely reported that Douyin, the Chinese domestic market equivalent of TikTok deliberately favors educational content, especially for children. Here's one news report claiming that: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/tiktok-china/story?id=108111...

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#602

Post by RONROC »

wiseowise wrote: post #215
paganel wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The West was throwing all shorts of shades at political powers here in Eastern Europe back in the day for not letting the free flow of information do its thing. So, saying that the US is doing the right thing now to ban TikTok based on ideological grounds is saying that it was right sending people to prison back then for listening to Radio Free Europe and similar.

[flagged]

[flagged]

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#603

Post by joe200 »

tw1984 wrote: post #505
joe200 wrote: post #494

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You cannot. But in US you have elections every 4 years wheres in Russia or China both Putin and Xi are "elected" for their lifetime. Does it tell you anything ?

> But in US you have elections every 4 years That is why populism is always the winner. I don't like Xi, I won't support anyone to be in power for life. That being said, I'd pick Xi over losers and criminals like Trump at any day.

How do you know that Xi is not criminal ? His decisions "affected" (read: killed or thrown in jail) thousands or tens of thousands people (more ?).

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#604

Post by close04 »

gradus_ad wrote: post #518
flkenosad wrote: post #459

I really hate how people are arguing that it should be banned because of the content being inappropriate in one way or another when the content you see is based on how you interact with the app. We don't all see the same stuff. So yeah China may have more educational content but that's probably just becuase the people there are interested in that stuff. When I travel to the mountains, I get more outdoorsy/hiking vide…

China and the US are in a deepening cold war. Our political systems are fundamentally opposed so conflict is inevitable (given there is no higher authority to manage our relations). If you are looking for some specific justification for a ban, you're missing the forest for the trees.

> Our political systems

The rift has nothing to do with the political system (e.g. the US is freely and openly allied with Saudi Arabia despite radically different political systems), and everything to do with the competition for power and influence in the world. SA is not a real contender there, China is. From here the rift and inevitable conflict.

> If you are looking for some specific justification for a ban, you're missing the forest for the trees

Every reason for the ban comes from the above competition for power and influence in the world. Whether it's not having an adversary financially profit from your own citizens or influence their decisions, or it's to eliminate foreign competition and fill the gap with local companies, it's all abut power and money and the political system couldn't matter less.

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#605

Post by t0bia_s »

snapcaster wrote: post #491
xanderlewis wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can imagine it. But they'd be wrong. Facebook and YouTube aren't directly controlled by an enemy government, and likely aren't intending as part of their raison d'être to sow discord and chaos in China.

Then why did all these sites comply with government directives on covid 'misinformation' or gaza? if they say "how high?" when the government says jump who cares what the official on paper corporate structures are?

FB or YouTube comply with enemy government like CCP?

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#606

Post by xnx »

mda wrote: post #425
xnx wrote: post #386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The biggest manipulation seems to be people thinking that TikTok is brainwashing the youths.

When I see people looking at Tiktok videos in the bus, they usually look like possessed by something, a few seconds of gaze with glassy eyes, flip, flip, flip. It is so weird, I feel a bit sick in my stomach when I see it. Regardless of its potential as a brainwashing and manipulation vector, I personally completely banned it in my household (facebook/ instagram was always banned).

Same feeling for me about people watching TV, playing video games, gambling, listening to talk radio, attending sporting events, going to church, etc.

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#607

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

tw1984 wrote: post #591
ltbarcly3 wrote: post #560

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Name one single other country that we trade with that has an official policy that it owns another country we trade with, and insists that if we say out loud the other country is a country it means immediate war?

> has an official policy that it owns another country we trade with, and insists that if we say out loud the other country is a country it means immediate war? there is a cost for maintaining the US hegemony, Taiwan is being used as an excuse to maximize such cost for the US - China gets to choose when and how to increase tensions, the US has to react accordingly and spend more and more borrowed resources as response…

Wouldn’t being a nice neighbor that people want to get along with be more effective at undermining US hegemony? This just seems like a convoluted rationale to avoid taking the Chinese government’s statements at face value: they think Taiwan is their property, intend to take and integrate it when they get a good opportunity to do so, and consider anything that might make this harder or undermine support for it to be a grievous national security threat.

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#608

Post by nani8ot »

jingyibo123 wrote: post #351

I honestly thought the US already forced TikTok to store all data on a US company's servers.

Data might be stored in the US, but Chinese laws and control still apply to Bytedance, regardless of where the data is physically stored.

It's the same reason why multiple data transfer frameworks between the EU and US have been ruled illegal (e.g. Privacy Shield).

US law does not care where the data of its companies is stored and allows for surveillance of non-US citizens. Since EU citizens have a right to privacy, no US company can legally handle EU-citizens data.

Obviously this is bad for trade and business, so there'll always be a new law made to temporarily allow for data transfers. Until it'll be ruled illegal again, and the cycle repeats.

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#609

Post by cess11 »

SpicyLemonZest wrote: post #588
cess11 wrote: post #507

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you really think TikTok has more power in the US than the local oligarchs and warlords? Short-form video does more to "internal strife" than the lack of basic government services, widespread substance abuse and state violence?

I don’t know who specifically you mean by “local oligarchs and warlords”. Do I think TikTok has more power and influence in the US than the average Fortune 500 CEO? Without a doubt.

Why do you bring up "Fortune 500" CEO:s? They only administrate businesses, they don't own them, unlike oligarchs.

When you read that quote, you can't think of anyone that would fit? You don't come to think of the Kochs, Clintons, Trumps, Musks, Obamas, Sacklers, Murdochs, Bidens and so on?

Re: US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from stores Jan. 19

#610

Post by Cthulhu_ »

hnpolicestate wrote: post #531
tester756 wrote: post #387

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Censorship... zzzZZZzz They're banning app/news delivery app managed by enemy government It is not like they're blocking internet, wikipedia they're banning stupid, memes/brainrot app

You put zzzzzzzz like this is a nothing burger but the United States has never legally prohibited citizens from viewing news, books and information from foreign countries. It's actually new.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_censorship_in_the_United_...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_govern...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comstock_Law

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Scare

I mean that last one doesn't mention any "legally prohibited" whatnots, but if you were suspected of being a commie because of for example being known to read the wrong thing by the House Un-American Activities Committee you'd be in trouble. Definitely chilling effects.

Post reply on HN