TikTok Ban
So TikTok seems to be officially over for now and I haven't seen much debate about it.
Some of the best arguments I've seen in terms of national security I quote here.
One possibility you could think of it being abused for is in the long term identifying and profiling young people for if/when they get high levels of security clearance for future exploitation.
Specifically people sign up when they are young and keep using it for years and during that time you can identify their interests and so forth. They should also be able to work out locations for most users based on IP or possible even directly from the phone if location permission is on (I don't use TikTok so no idea if that is a permission they ask for), which could help you identify if they move to an area near a secure facility or onto a military base etc. Given that you have years of their viewing data as well as potentially information from what they themselves post you could then work out the 'perfect' person to become their friend and slowly gain trust with the eventual aim to gain information from them (or access to others) or potentially something that the person might not want to be revealed and exploit them that way.
Of course people post lots of stuff on other places so that is not unique to TikTok. Stava is a good example where people have been able to identify people working at military bases from their run data etc.
So I would argue this is rather unlikely but if you want to have the 'what if' mindset that I think it is possible to envision it being used that way to quickly identify users near location X, see if any match someone known to work there and then go back through the data to look for possible avenues to use. Though, again, I think this is very unlikely to be realistic and the main problem that might be the real concern for western governments is really that it could be exploited at a time of conflict as a propaganda tool or to spread misinformation to try and paralyse or otherwise damage a country at a critical moment. Though arguably that can be done via other social media sites albeit with less direct control.
It's a **** ton of Metadata. It doesn't matter if some guy knows YOUR habits, interests, location, etc.
But if a state actor suddenly has access to the data of millions of people, you get a lot more possibilities for nefarious reasons. You can create social trends, slowly and surely manipulate trends, map infrastructure (like who works at military installations, how many people, when they come and go, etc), spread propaganda, rile people up against each other, etc.
With access to over 100 million people your options are limitless.
To me these are good points but I still can't help but have a bad taste in my mouth when the govt tells me what I can and cannot read/view.
What if TikTok was Danish owned, would that make a difference?
I know that China itself bans most if not all American social media apps. So is this an admission of just how powerful social media is? Is every country eventually going to have siloed social media for the same purposes? It will be harder and harder to interact with people from other countries?
Personally I think the first step should be the US passing more strict privacy laws when it comes to data collection. So many other apps collect this information and they are just so secure it's not a security issue for them to hold it? Our data is a commodity so I guess there is a lot of pushback to enact these protections from some of the biggest companies in the world but if the data is that critical if it falls into the wrong hands shouldn't steps be made to prevent this?
I ****ing hate it here
2p2 recently purchased by foreign nationals, we're probably next
https://www.tiktok.com/us-landing
Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now.
A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.
Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now.
Please stay tuned!
I guess everyone is going to another Chinese app called Rednote. Although my understanding is that Rednote censors way more than TikTok, although they only censor stuff that the CCP determines offensive, such as saying anything negative about the CCP or being too LGBTQ.
But if you want to be antisemitic it seems it is pretty much no holds barred. You dont even have to code by saying Zionists, you can just go straight out and demean Jews directly.
fun fact, rednote is a terrible translation, it's literally "little red book" a playful take on this
I guess everyone is going to another Chinese app called Rednote. Although my understanding is that Rednote censors way more than TikTok, although they only censor stuff that the CCP determines offensive, such as saying anything negative about the CCP or being too LGBTQ.
But if you want to be antisemitic it seems it is pretty much no holds barred. You dont even have to code by saying Zionists, you can just go straight out and demean Jews directly.
Bringing up the Israeli situation only feeds the conspiracy theory that the Jews are driving force behind the banning which is a thing in the TikTok sphere (the conspiracy theory). Going to Rednote is just a form of online protest against the govt in a way.
The ban is clearly a good thing. Twitter and Facebook are also harmful and there needs to be more effective regulation on all social media. Trump might bring it back if there’s a pay day in it for him and because he doesn’t care about national security.
The ban is clearly a good thing. Twitter and Facebook are also harmful and there needs to be more effective regulation on all social media. Trump might bring it back if there’s a pay day in it for him and because he doesn’t care about national security.
How are Twitter and Facebook harmful? Why not just protect citizen's data instead of trying to put guardrails on freedom of speech?
How are Twitter and Facebook harmful? Why not just protect citizen's data instead of trying to put guardrails on freedom of speech?
Both are filled with misinformation, propaganda, foreign influence, engineered to push divisive content, on top of all the broader negative effects of social media. This is like asking how are crack and fentanyl harmful.
Protecting citizen’s data would fit into more effective regulation.
I don’t think the ban is entirely or even mainly about protecting data and putting guardrails on freedom of speech. Allowing citizens to mass download a CCP owned app capable of tracking data and disseminating propaganda is absurd. And all the tiktokers are flooding to a Chinese platform with even more restrictions on free speech. It’s not like the government is shutting down the internet, so how is this restricting free speech?
Both are filled with misinformation, propaganda, foreign influence, engineered to push divisive content, on top of all the broader negative effects of social media. This is like asking how are crack and fentanyl harmful.
Protecting citizen’s data would fit into more effective regulation.
I don’t think the ban is entirely or even mainly about protecting data and putting guardrails on freedom of speech. Allowing citizens to mass download a CCP owned app capable of tracking data and disseminati
Well I guess it's not stopping free speech full stop when you can go to another approved platform and say the same stuff, that's true.
So they should just protect our data I guess.
Personally I think the first step should be the US passing more strict privacy laws when it comes to data collection. So many other apps collect this information and they are just so secure it's not a security issue for them to hold it? Our data is a commodity so I guess there is a lot of pushback to enact these protections from some of the biggest companies in the world but if the data is that critical if it falls into the wrong hands shouldn't steps be made to prevent this?
There is too much money involved for the US to get stricter on the privacy laws
Yes this is about China. I do think the US is being sincere when they say they don't trust the algorithm and are concerned what China does with the data. But should it be banned?
Bringing up the Israeli situation only feeds the conspiracy theory that the Jews are driving force behind the banning which is a thing in the TikTok sphere (the conspiracy theory). Going to Rednote is just a form of online protest against the govt in a way.
Antisemitism is extremely divisive. My point is that Chinese owned companies intentionally push divisive stuff on the US with the intent to weaken us. You know they have completely different algorithms and content domestically and for US audiences.
There is too much money involved for the US to get stricter on the privacy laws
Yes this is about China. I do think the US is being sincere when they say they don't trust the algorithm and are concerned what China does with the data. But should it be banned?
If the data is so sensitive though then why allow candy crush and myfitness pal the ability to collect it? Their servers are so secure they'll never be hacked? There is a price tag on national security?
If the data is so sensitive though then why allow candy crush and myfitness pal the ability to collect it? Their servers are so secure they'll never be hacked? There is a price tag on national security?
You seem to be regurgitating a lot of uninformed opinions on the tiktok situation. The issue isn’t data collection. Your data is inevitably going to get hacked and sold, if it hasn’t been already. The issue is allowing the CCP to distribute the most effective propaganda vector in the world onto millions of American’s phones.
Candy crush and myfitnesspal can’t suddenly start sending you propaganda or subtlety alter the content and information you consume.
Trump freely gives classified information to foreign governments so it’s not like leaking sensitive data is a big concern.
Antisemitism is extremely divisive. My point is that Chinese owned companies intentionally push divisive stuff on the US with the intent to weaken us. You know they have completely different algorithms and content domestically and for US audiences.
It feels like a bit of a slippery slope when there starts to be picking and choosing which platforms are allowed. And like I said, it just doesn't sit well with me when the govt dictates what I can and cannot see.
To be fair RT was also banned from operating in the country. That was literally a foreign state run media but I still didn't agree with it but I understand the opinion you can't just give carte blanche to foreign propaganda bombarding your citizens, especially without reciprocity.
Picking and choosing? ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company is owned by a hostile foreign government. If TikTok divested from ByteDance and by extension the CCP, they would have been allowed to keep operating but they didn’t.
You seem to be regurgitating a lot of uninformed opinions on the tiktok situation. The issue isn’t data collection. Your data is inevitably going to get hacked and sold, if it hasn’t been already. The issue is allowing the CCP to distribute the most effective propaganda vector in the world onto millions of American’s phones.
Candy crush and myfitnesspal can’t suddenly start sending you propaganda or subtlety alter the content and information you consume.
Trump freely gives classified informatio
When it comes to data I'm trying to find a tangible reason to justify the app being shut down beyond the government telling me don't look at that, it's for your own good, trust us. And if social media is so powerful then maybe there needs to be a serious conversation about regulation overall.
Or it could be fair to say China doesn't allow us into their social media market so why should we allow them to collect billions out of our market. But when you tell me it's for national security purposes, that raises an eyebrow.
Picking and choosing? ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company is owned by a hostile foreign government. If TikTok divested from ByteDance and by extension the CCP, they would have been allowed to keep operating but they didn’t.
China sure seems like a big trading partner. All of our phones we're typing on are made there. Doesn't sound like a good idea having our enemy manufacturer so many of our goods. I think even refrigerators are phoning home these days.
Also I don't think the govt owns any of bytedance but there are laws on the books they need to open their servers to the govt upon request.
Idk what to tell you other than you seem uninformed plus you’re not reading or understanding what I’ve posted.
The CCP owns everything in China. Idk what you mean by you don’t think government owns any of bytedance.
The US relying on China for manufacturing is also an issue and doesn’t invalidate the TikTok ban. Ideally there would be a lot more restriction and regulation on goods, especially electronics made in China. Pretty sure anything related to national security already prohibits using Chinese electronics and components, which is smart. You’re regurgitating common whataboutisms.
Idk what to tell you other than you seem uninformed plus you’re not reading or understanding what I’ve posted.
The CCP owns everything in China. Idk what you mean by you don’t think government owns any of bytedance.
The US relying on China for manufacturing is also an issue and doesn’t invalidate the TikTok ban. Ideally there would be a lot more restriction and regulation on goods, especially electronics made in China. Pretty sure anything related to national security already prohibits usin
I don't know man, I'm just reading the news
TikTok stopped working for its 170 million American users late on Saturday before a law shutting it down on national security grounds took effect on Sunday. U.S. officials had warned that under Chinese parent company ByteDance, there was a risk of Americans' data being misused.
Privately held ByteDance is about 60% owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock and General Atlantic, while its founders and employees own 20% each. It has more than 7,000 employees in the U.S.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/tikto...
So if it's a data issue then why aren't we getting laws on the books to protect our data like most of Europe?
If it's a propaganda issue, then if I made you doom scroll TikTok for 3 hours a day how many weeks or months before you're reprogrammed and doing the CCP's bidding? Or are you impervious but we're worried about lesser citizens being brainwashed and need the govt to protect them?
Or we just need to pass a law that all social media operating in the US needs to be US owned?
then if I made you doom scroll TikTok for 3 hours a day how many weeks or months before you're reprogrammed and doing the CCP's bidding
dunno about CCP's bidding but apparently after a few days you would be doing Oct 7ths.
I don't know man, I'm just reading the news
https://www.reuters.com/technology/tikto...
So if it's a data issue then why aren't we getting laws on the books to protect our data like most of Europe?
If it's a propaganda issue, then if I made you doom scroll TikTok for 3 hours a day how many weeks or months before you're reprogrammed and doing the CCP's bidding? Or are you impervious but we're worried about lesser citizens being brainwashed and need
You really can’t seem to grasp the distinction between owned by a foreign company and owned by a foreign, hostile nation state.
The CCP doesn’t need to openly own 100% of a company to control it.
A lot of the security concern surrounds what China could potentially do with TikTok. It’s not necessarily spitting out hardcore propaganda 24/7 to its entire user base. For instance, they could subtlety alter the algorithm to feed certain users or groups of users chosen narratives. They could do this slowly so it’s not like you doom scroll for 3 hours and suddenly you’re brainwashed.
It’s literally already happening to the midwits flocking to Rednote.
No offense but it’s tiring repeating the same things.
Anyways, you probably don’t have much to worry about as Trump is using this as an opportunity to turn Gen Z to his side. He will reinstate TikTok and be a savior.
Ideally, the US would follow the EU with their privacy and data protection laws. Americans are on a whole too dumb and preoccupied with other issues like trans, gays, abortion, etc to care about these things. Banning TikTok and enacting better data protection laws are different things but should both happen.
