US ban on TikTok

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Feb 4, 2009
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I'm against the US government "banning" any web sites or traffic. That's third-world dictator style governing, and we should be better than that. The internet should remain free and open to every extent possible.

I assume you are good with banning pedo sites
How about a site so ridden with fraud and theft it cannot be trusted. Should we let the free market figure this stuff out?
Before you answer read about how much access TikTok requires. I’ll simplify your reading, TikTok requires an unusual amount of access.
 
Mar 11, 2004
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Sorry I don’t understand the second part.

The same people talking about banning that app, have been pushing for laws mandating that companies put in backdoors so that "law enforcement" can access peoples' data. And many of them have been enabling private companies to access your data already.

I don't know if you're really just completely ignorant or what, but all the shit you're worried about China over this for? America has been doing to you already. At a FAR greater level. And China already has access to plenty of that because of the shitass cybersecurity that a lot of American companies and the government uses, while they're actively trying to further erode that security.

I don't quite follow you. Are you advocating that any app that requests deep access to your phone should be banned? That sounds weird/excessive.


Well.

Chinese apps are kind of inherently a problem for western democracies because there's really no separation between a Chinese corporation and the Chinese state. And a social media app that records video and sound captures large amounts of extraneous data by its very function. You can figure out without too much difficulty who uses the app, where, when, what they look like, what their voice sounds like, their interests and habits, information on their movements, educated guesses on income/wealth, similar information on friends and family who appear in their videos, and more.

That's a lot of info you might not want a totalitarian killer regime to have access to, if you live in the "free" world at least. TikTok or whomever could say they store westerners' data outside China, but this is the internet. This data can be accessed from anywhere, where it is stored isn't nearly that important really.


Well, that is a legit concern, yes.


If it was anyone but Dumpy, I would say you'd be off your rockers. But he's such a petty, thin-skinned, vindictive bastard I totally would not be surprised if you're right.

Then why does it matter if this one does? Why is it magically worse? Because they claim China is doing nefarious shit with it? And that's worse than what these assholes are doing with it? Why? Because its American? Its like you think America hasn't been doing just as much killing as China. All the shit we've been demonizing China (and plenty of others) for, we've been doing, often times more/worse than anyone else. We have absolutely no moral high ground to claim with regards to this issue. And our own government is actively trying to force companies to do things that will make it easier for China to access your data (because it also makes it easier for entities - some of which have essentially no actual oversight - part of the American government to do so as well; oh and they're actually trying to make those companies do that stuff for them too). If they really cared about protecting your data they would be pushing mandates that apps have to use strong encryption and encrypt all your personal data. Except they're doing the complete and total opposite, because they want easy access to your data themselves.

Sorry but if you don't think the American versions are "inherently a problem" then I don't know what to say. You know that's literally how Turmp won the election, right? And how Brexit happened, and how Bibi won re-election. They had assholes make a company, claiming to be an academic research team, get access to social media data, and then pushed out targeted ads while using the info from the data to direct their messaging elsewhere. It was straight up illegal to do what they did. And all that happened was the company went bankrupt (wherein they just created another similar company). And there's a good amount of evidence they've done worse. Police have been using clandestine companies to access peoples' private info. The NSA found a litany of their people abusing their systems for personal reasons (they had agents using it to stalk and manipulate people in order to try and have sex with them and I forget what all else). Uber was caught running a spying program on law enforcement, competitors (they had one program that made fake accounts where they'd book Lyft rides, then cancel them at the last minute), and I think it was also used by people within the company for personal reasons (i.e. shit like stalking). Remember, uh, I don't even remember the name now. It was the movie theater subscription service? The company went to hell after the guy admitted they were essentially a spying program after they got found harvesting data even when the app wasn't running. GPS tracking type of shit. ISPs right now are suing so that they can sell your private data (without your consent - well I mean sure you consented because you signed up for their service, nevermind you likely had limited choices or anything...), claiming that being barred from doing so violates their 1st Amendment rights (fuck yours).

But hey, I guess that's all ok, cause its not China?
 

nickqt

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2015
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It is very important that we have laws governing which social media apps we give explicit permission to spy on every aspect of our lives.

-Legislators born in the 1950s.

Or: if something is free, YOU'RE the product.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
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Anonymous claims tiktok is Chinese government malware. Have they been wrong before?
 

Bitek

Lifer
Aug 2, 2001
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Also China is just pissing off everyone lately.

I'm guessing from their latest moves to fuck over Hong Kong, looks like UK is responding by retracting their Huawei 5G work


This is the consequence of weak and unfocused American leadership coming out of Trump admin.

We're ravaged by a virus we can't control, historic unemployment and debt, and an admin cowering before dictators too concerned about reelection and photo ops rather than fixing problems.

We haven't been this weak and uninfluential as a nation in generations.

If we don't turn it around quickly we will lose the 21st century
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
38,201
18,670
146
This is the consequence of weak and unfocused American leadership coming out of Trump admin.

We're ravaged by a virus we can't control, historic unemployment and debt, and an admin cowering before dictators too concerned about reelection and photo ops rather than fixing problems.

We haven't been this weak and uninfluential as a nation in generations.

If we don't turn it around quickly we will lose the 21st century

Thanks Obama