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TikTok says it is restoring service for U.S. users

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Re: TikTok says it is restoring service for U.S. users

#641

Post by vitorgrs »

sekai wrote: post #57

The people pretending that the TikTok law is a speech issue are ignoring that no one was requiring TikTok to change their content at all. The law was written to allow for 0 impact on users if the CCP-connected parent company simply divested. Their preference to shut down instead of receiving tens of billions of dollars would be a clear violation of a company’s fiduciary duty to shareholders for any normal company. Bu…

What would happen if Brazil says they would ban X if Elon Musk didn't divest from it?

Re: TikTok says it is restoring service for U.S. users

#642

Post by BLKNSLVR »

sega_sai wrote: post #230

For the record -- the law for TikTok divestment was not passed on its own, but was instead included in the foreign aid (including Ukraine) package https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/23/tech/congress-tiktok-ban-... It is not clear if it would have passed if not that procedural trick... So one has to take this into account when considering 'bipartisan support' of the thing.

> but was instead included in the foreign aid (including Ukraine) package

I don't know why these kinds of shenanigans are still possible. It makes a complete joke of politics and legislation (and by extension: law).

I know I'm shouting at clouds here, and I know the reason is: the sheeple don't care enough to change this thing for the better. But I still feel the need to point it out.

Re: TikTok says it is restoring service for U.S. users

#644

Post by rcstank »

vitorgrs wrote: post #641
sekai wrote: post #57

The people pretending that the TikTok law is a speech issue are ignoring that no one was requiring TikTok to change their content at all. The law was written to allow for 0 impact on users if the CCP-connected parent company simply divested. Their preference to shut down instead of receiving tens of billions of dollars would be a clear violation of a company’s fiduciary duty to shareholders for any normal company. Bu…

What would happen if Brazil says they would ban X if Elon Musk didn't divest from it?

What does this have to do with X, Brazil, or Musk?

Re: TikTok says it is restoring service for U.S. users

#645

Post by anon84873628 »

cosmic_cheese wrote: post #506
BrenBarn wrote: post #418

It's odd to me that people seem to be mostly viewing this as a free speech/democracy issue. To me it's more like if newspapers were printed with toxic ink or something. The negatives of TikTok have nothing to do with the speech expressed by the "creators" on the platform, but rather with the overall harmful effects of the algorithmic firehose. It's true that this means all similar US-based things should be banned as…

One way the free speech angle might make sense is that TikTok (and other foreign-run social media) normally aren’t as susceptible to domestic pressure to throttle, shadowban, etc certain types of content (like airing of some politician’s dirty laundry). I could absolutely see that being the case. Trump and the Republican Party now have a solid thumb on US-based social media via Musk/Zuck, which makes lack of control…

At least for the time being, traditional media outlets don't seem to have a problem airing US politicians' dirty laundry.

Re: TikTok says it is restoring service for U.S. users

#646

Post by replwoacause »

The language surrounding this which basically heaps praise on Trump makes it seem like it was a condition he gave, that he must be given clear unambiguous credit, so he can go around saying he saved it, even though he was the one who signed an executive order in 2020 to ban it[0]. Anything to manipulate the American people’s perception of him. It feels like we’re living in Russia or North Korea with the stuff that goes on these days. Truly scary watching an oligarchy take shape realtime.

[0] https://www.npr.org/2020/08/06/900019185/trump-signs-executi...

Re: TikTok says it is restoring service for U.S. users

#649

Post by oooyay »

vasco wrote: post #64
Buttons840 wrote: post #45

The TikTok debate has always been about the balance between national security and free speech. We found a compromise. TikTok will remain, all of its national security risks will remain. Also, the law that tramples free speech is upheld by the court, but will be blantently ignored and unenforced. Everybody loses. This outcome is worse than anyone could have conceived.

Soldiers were already sharing videos of aircraft carriers on Rednote which hasn't gone through the whole shenanigans of paying Larry Ellison to host it on Oracle Cloud and so on. The national security risk is the US military apparently not being able to convince its own soldiers to be thoughtful about cybersecurity.

> The national security risk is the US military apparently not being able to convince its own soldiers to be thoughtful about cybersecurity.

That's not really a new problem. The problem is as old as time, even before the internet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loose_lips_sink_ships

When I was deployed in 2011 we didn't carry cell phones because:

1. Jammers will render your antenna unusable or potentially damage your device.

2. The country that controls the infrastructure now has the inside scoop on who you are, what you're doing, and where you are. Even if they country is an ally, it only takes a few individuals to start mass exfiltration.

TikTok was turning into infrastructure for social dialogue except that it had a new capability compared to the cell phones of 2011: it could be manipulated at scale, and quickly with the combination of algorithms and outrage culture.

Re: TikTok says it is restoring service for U.S. users

#650

Post by talldayo »

ralfhn wrote: post #643
ourmandave wrote: post #636

Just google Salt Typhoon, (I'll wait), and then tell me you want the TikTok app on 102M+ US citizens devices.

I see nothing Israel hasn’t done yet we give them billions of dollars in aid.

If China had America by the balls half as bad as Israel does, we'd be watching Biden and Trump take turns kissing Xi Jinping's feet on live television right now. It's besides the point and doesn't contribute to better foreign policy choices, just gives justification to the wrong ones.
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