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TikTok goes dark in the US

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Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#721
post #695

(Perspective from an American) Information is the gold of the 21st century. Whoever controls the flow of information has all the wealth and all the power. Therefore, data is the greatest currency in the world. This outcome was never intended to happen, but ByteDance is taking a chance that the American government will relent. We’ll see in a few months who wins the stalemate. TikTok has an immense amount of cultural p…

More perspective as another American: ridiculous inflation, staggering economic inequality, pathetic education standards, ridiculous emissions regulations, ensuring women's access to healthcare, crumbling infrastructure, the housing market, school shootings, student and medical debt, and of course, healthcare, are all issues that are actively demolishing our society right now, and the Government won't do a fucking thing.

They did however manage to ban one of the brain-rotting apps. Not even remotely a majority, but one.

I don't need one line of CCP propaganda to know the American government is a fucking joke.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#722
post #695

(Perspective from an American) Information is the gold of the 21st century. Whoever controls the flow of information has all the wealth and all the power. Therefore, data is the greatest currency in the world. This outcome was never intended to happen, but ByteDance is taking a chance that the American government will relent. We’ll see in a few months who wins the stalemate. TikTok has an immense amount of cultural p…

[flagged]

Alternately, more Americans are aware of the threat than you give us credit for.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#723
post #695

(Perspective from an American) Information is the gold of the 21st century. Whoever controls the flow of information has all the wealth and all the power. Therefore, data is the greatest currency in the world. This outcome was never intended to happen, but ByteDance is taking a chance that the American government will relent. We’ll see in a few months who wins the stalemate. TikTok has an immense amount of cultural p…

I'm an American too, and I trust an app that has "china" somewhere in it's org chart more than Zuckerberg or any meta product.

Is the hate for Meta so great that you actually trust a Chinese app more? China absolutely has zero privacy protection and everything explicitly runs through the great censor wall.

Don’t mince words. Meta absolutely has issues with data collection but it’s comical to think they somehow China is better.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#725
As a European, I find it quite outrageous to demand a company be sold to the US because it is too successful and valuable to be foreign-held. It is the old-school imperialist school of thought. If you think Bytedance is harming Americans, despite following american law, then amend the rules for social media companies. Or at least be honest enough to say: "The free market is great, but only if we hold all the cards".

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#726
post #719
post #695

(Perspective from an American) Information is the gold of the 21st century. Whoever controls the flow of information has all the wealth and all the power. Therefore, data is the greatest currency in the world. This outcome was never intended to happen, but ByteDance is taking a chance that the American government will relent. We’ll see in a few months who wins the stalemate. TikTok has an immense amount of cultural p…

> But China ultimately having that power scares me more than an American company having it. Well for people not from US, China having that power is absolutely better. After all, unlike the US, China hadn't invaded another country or instigated coup for the past 40+ years.

The U.S. makes mistakes. Everyone is free talk about them and try to correct them.

Sometimes, we overcorrect or under-correct - or are slow to address things.

But we admit them. I think that counts for a lot.

I think it is unfair to point to military mistakes as undermining all of U.S. credibility.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#727
post #344

A point I think most people don’t understand is that the government interest in TikTok has little to do with exploiting user data per se, a lot of other companies do that. The issue is that TikTok is somewhat unique in being aggressively weaponized in currently very active “grey zone” conflicts. This has been an open secret in national security circles but the average person on the street has no idea what a grey zone…

You mention “grey zone conflicts” then opine that people don’t know what that is…then don’t actually explain what it is!

The conflict in Palestine was one (1).

The ADL head (Greenblatt) noted they had a major issue with young people seeing footage from the front lines negatively impacting perception of Israel, this is in a leaked voice memo from early 2024. Ban legislation followed within a month.

(1) https://x.com/wikileaks/status/1852851603365036222

https://x.com/PatriotSt0rm17/status/1878777137479712889

https://x.com/infolibnews/status/1878706591626924522

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#728
post #695

(Perspective from an American) Information is the gold of the 21st century. Whoever controls the flow of information has all the wealth and all the power. Therefore, data is the greatest currency in the world. This outcome was never intended to happen, but ByteDance is taking a chance that the American government will relent. We’ll see in a few months who wins the stalemate. TikTok has an immense amount of cultural p…

I doubt this has anything to do with "data".

I generally view "data is the new oil" arguments as a sign that the journalist doesn't know what they are talking about, especially if they can't characterise what data they are referring to or why it is valuable.

More likely, this is about control of the recommendation algorithm, and therefore control of the narrative.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#729
post #695

(Perspective from an American) Information is the gold of the 21st century. Whoever controls the flow of information has all the wealth and all the power. Therefore, data is the greatest currency in the world. This outcome was never intended to happen, but ByteDance is taking a chance that the American government will relent. We’ll see in a few months who wins the stalemate. TikTok has an immense amount of cultural p…

3 comments total from this account totaling 28 karma at the time of writing and this of the top comment on a 1500+ comment thread about a major issue? Ok.

That fact is relevant to the issue. This comment is the most “State Department talking points” comment you could make and the finger is put on the scales to elevate it.

That’s exactly what Google and Meta do with content via recommendation algorithms and comments.

And it’s what TikTok doesn’t do, which is the exact reason it was banned.

Oldheads will remember when comment karma was public. Its hidden now basically to hide just how manipulated comment rankings are.

Re: TikTok goes dark in the US

#730
post #695

(Perspective from an American) Information is the gold of the 21st century. Whoever controls the flow of information has all the wealth and all the power. Therefore, data is the greatest currency in the world. This outcome was never intended to happen, but ByteDance is taking a chance that the American government will relent. We’ll see in a few months who wins the stalemate. TikTok has an immense amount of cultural p…

I'm willing to bet Americans are the most propagandized people on Earth. And it's done by our government with the "public/private partnership" aka "unconstitutional workarounds" of all legacy media and social media outlets. Facebook has admitted as much, and the Twitter files proves it.

China controlling the flow of information is the same. The only difference is China is upfront about what information they are feeding everyone.

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