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TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

reuters.com

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Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#751

Post by the_gipsy »

cvoss wrote: post #208
jdlyga wrote: post #115

"I would literally write my social security number on a sticky note and stick it to Xi Jinping's forehead than go back to using Instagram Reels" I saw this yesterday and it's hilarious but this is the feeling right now. TikTok has such a culture of authenticity and realness and Instagram is so phony and overly perfect (not to mention ads and so many bots and spam). It's like shutting down Reddit and telling everyone…

The US gov's intention was not at all to shut down TikTok. It was to force ByteDance to sell it. The fact that ByteDance is opting for a shutdown instead is a huge PR stunt, and their unwillingness to sell under the circumstances kinda proves their whole First Amendment claims are made in bad faith. Something deeper is going on, and it's not about your social security number.

What, they should just shut up and sell? They're getting extorted.

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#752

Post by munificent »

stonesthrowaway wrote: post #740
TulliusCicero wrote: post #670

I'm fine with this, based on the simple principle of Turnabout Is Fair Play . China already bans practically all the popular US social media apps and similar apps/websites. I'm for free trade, but it ought to be fair trade too, as in, roughly similar/equal policies. If another country bans X imports from your own, it's hardly unfair to respond in kind.

[flagged]

> refuse to abide by chinese laws

Honest question: what laws?

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#755

Post by alex1138 »

robrtsql wrote: post #699
bearjaws wrote: post #490

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> TikTok has such a culture of authenticity and realness I must live in another universe because it all feels fake.

I don't know if I would characterize TikTok as 'authentic' first and foremost, but it's a platform where real people go to perform. When I scrolled TikTok, I would often get poorly-shot videos from average folks trying to put their spin on the day's joke format, or reacting to that day's outrage. It was junk food, but at least somewhat 'real'. My Reels feed, on the other hand, is 100% bot drivel. It's all stolen vira…

I genuinely have no idea what Zuckerberg is responsible for at Facebook other than hijacking credentials (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4151433) and stealing/copying ideas

Anyone with half a brain ought to have come up with a better system than Reels is

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#756

Post by havefunbesafe »

ossobuco wrote: post #552
syspec wrote: post #454

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it's not necessarily about the / data privacy/, it's about the ability of a foreign adversary to influence the American populous in subtle ways over time. By simply suppressing topics, or elevating trends they might find helpful in swaying the populous. That's what propaganda is and it works.

> By simply suppressing topics, or elevating trends they might find helpful in swaying the populous. Isn't that exactly what US media does as well? Every media has an owner with his own interests, the information they'll provide you will be carefully crafted to not harm those interests.

Best case: I am not propagandized by any state media || Second worst case: I am propagandized by my own country's media || Worst case: I am propagandized by a foreign adversary's media

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#758

Post by TulliusCicero »

stonesthrowaway wrote: post #740
TulliusCicero wrote: post #670

I'm fine with this, based on the simple principle of Turnabout Is Fair Play . China already bans practically all the popular US social media apps and similar apps/websites. I'm for free trade, but it ought to be fair trade too, as in, roughly similar/equal policies. If another country bans X imports from your own, it's hardly unfair to respond in kind.

[flagged]

More misinformation from the PRC defense squad!

They are, in fact, banned. It's not just that they can't operate like a normal business within China, you can't even reach the foreign servers from within China...because they're banned.

If a new social media network opens in Denmark, it might not operate in the US yet -- which means US laws wouldn't even be applicable -- but I could still reach it from the US without needing a VPN, because it wouldn't be banned either. Maybe it wouldn't be useful for me as an American yet, but I could still get to the website, because the US government isn't stopping me.

Many popular US websites are actually banned in China, whether you want to admit it or not.

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#759

Post by leptons »

rwarfield wrote: post #107
spencerflem wrote: post #67

Given how easy it is for China to buy US data legally from data brokers and how similar the functionality of TikTok and YouTube Shorts, I feel like the only explanations are: 1. The govt is mad that a foreign company is outcompeting a domestic one Or more likely, given that there are so many other industries that didn't get a ban: 2. The govt is mad that they have control over the narrative on Facebook but do not on…

The big issue isn't data security; it's propaganda. Irrespective of whether the government has control of the narrative on Facebook (I would argue they pretty clearly don't) there is no reason to let a foreign adversary have a deniable propaganda line to millions of Americans. Would we have let the USSR acquire a major television network? And even if you disagree with the national security reasons for disallowing Chi…

>Would we have let the USSR acquire a major television network?

Yes, there are millions of US citizens that would rather have a Russian TV station in their neighborhood than one run by Democrats. I don't understand it, but that seems to be the way it's going lately. And considering who's POTUS now, a Russia-run TV network in the US isn't that far-fetched. I mean, Fox News practically already is.

Re: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday

#760

Post by zzzeek »

bloopernova wrote: post #713

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri: "As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth's final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would d…

TikTok is a restricted information environment controlled and manipulated by literal tyrants. Subjects that are disfavored by the CCP are heavily penalized by their algorithm [1]

if you are looking to safeguard against tyranny step 1 is to not have the CCP be in full control of your country's public square

[1] https://networkcontagion.us/wp-content/uploads/A-Tik-Tok-ing...

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