this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2024
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TikTok is a social media app that tracks an incredible amount of data. A change of location will not change this.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Everyone saying “it doesn’t matter that TikTok is based in China” is actually just saying that they don’t have any real understanding of how the CCP runs shit in China. It matters very fucking much that the government under which TikTok was created was the CCP.

[–] deweydecibel 20 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The vast majority of people using TiKTok have no idea what the CCP even is.

And hey, maybe they could be educated about that!

But that education isn't going to happen on TikTok under the control of the CCP.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I’d wager that most people are familiar with Communist China.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Meanwhile we accept everything else manufactured in China.

Except, of course, affordable vehicles.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

I would avoid Chinese phones, network gear, and other computer hardware as well.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 months ago (5 children)

Every bad thing about Tiktok is also true about Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

[–] grue 15 points 3 months ago

You're right. I hope you're not saying that in order to defend TikTok but rather to support banning Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram too.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

You probably couldn’t reasonably sue a chinese company for mis-use

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 months ago

I have to disagree, not every bad thing ...

[–] Cryophilia -1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

True but it's an order of magnitude worse on Tiktok. All of it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

why worse? It's just exchanging American spies with Chinese spies.. Both are bad, but Americans are worse

[–] Cryophilia 1 points 3 months ago

I wasn't talking about the spying. Even if no one was spying, Tiktok is still societal cancer.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I feel like pointing fingers at China is kinda missing the point that we are not legislating collection of user data because it is also a major source of revenue for non-chinese software companies.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yes, but China is strongly using this as a propaganda tool, e.g., by censoring any content that is not aligned with the CCP's 'official' narrative. I know that 'the West' does that also once in a while, but by far not to that extent. You can criticize the U.S. or the EU or any government on social media without consequences.

That said, I'd say it is irrelevant whether or not it is a source of revenue, may it be for Chinese or non-Chinese companies. I don't use these tools bc I don't want to be spied on 24/7. But that's just my opinion, there is a large clientel out there for such media.

[Edit typo.]

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The fact that data collection isn't regulated enough is one thing. It being Chinese means its a security issue and propaganda platform.

[–] grue 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I mean, American data collection is a security issue and propaganda platform too (I say as an American, BTW).

[–] [email protected] -4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

But muricaland propaganda is not Faschist and not a threat to nato security.

[–] MotoAsh 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yes it is. Republicans CONSTANTLY tow Russian propaganda lines and say directly fascist things. Republicans want to drop support of Ukraine, which directly puts all of Europe at risk.

Trump is LITERALLY QUOTING HITLER, but nooo, the US doesn't have a fascist propaganda problem... Fucking grow up and open your eyes. and also your ears, apparently.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Lawmaker Who Led TikTok Ban Bill Joins Private Surveillance Firm

Mike Gallagher pushed the bill to ban TikTok because China can "surveil its users." Now, he's resigning and joining an American surveillance firm Palantir.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Palantir

great name!

[–] rivr 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

why i have a feeling that they pick this "hot topic" only to promote themselves in a really lazy way

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Tuta have been pretty slimy for a few years at this point. I would have moved off of it if they didn't honor my original subscription price; they've changed it a few times now and all the new prices are worse.

[–] rivr 2 points 3 months ago (2 children)

they're still slightly better than proton which recently started to promote their premium down the throats. my partner noticed that tuta's sub changed slightly since the time he paid fo it - he wouldn't notice otherwise because i had to get it

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I agree, I moved from Proton to Tuta 😄

I just don't want to be reminded about my email, it should simply work.

Might end up so bothered by this problem that I just host it myself.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Both of them can get real annoying at times.

Oh, so have you heard the news about Skiff shutting down? Well here's our list of alternative providers, reading which will just waste your time because obviously we're going to crown ourselves as the best!

So unnecessarily pretentious

[–] rivr 2 points 3 months ago

bleh don't remind me about skiff. i made a spare account for least important stuff there only to witness this "sunsetting"; i hope theyll all get fired as fast and joyful as they sold themselves to notion

[–] ninjabard 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

So, the only solution is to not use it? Got it.

[–] grue 4 points 3 months ago

No. The only solution is to ban it to stop the idiots from using it, too. The problem cannot be solved individually, only collectively.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It will change who gets the data. Who would you rather have your data: US gov, or CCP?

For me its an easy choice; I dont tiktok.

[–] trolololol 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Neither

Tik Tok and Meta and others must be sold to operate in the country I'm in.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It definitely matters. It is being use as a propaganda tool.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

@huginn

One example:

TikTok Facilitates CCP’s Arrest of Uyghurs in China

The Uyghur Times has documented at least 20 individuals who vanished after sharing videos criticizing the Chinese government on TikTok between 2021 and 2023.The International Version of TikTok has a long history of suspending or suppressing users who share content criticizing the Chinese government. That is why you don’t see Uyghur activists on this platform; that is why so many people don’t know what is happening to the Uyghur people.You may not care, but we Uyghurs are clear about one fact: TikTok is the genocidal arm of the Chinese government.

You'll find a large number of examples on how the CCP censors their web.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Ty for context

I thought tiktok wasn't available in China?

Do they mean douyin or was it them using tiktok?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Citing tbe article that "the International Version of TikTok has a long history of suspending or suppressing users who share content criticizing the Chinese government," it might refer to TikTok users outside China.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah reading the article it seems like Douyin is where the people were disappearing and TikTok is where the videos were suppressed.

They're both owned by Bytedance out of Beijing so it's not really much of a distinction.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Authoritarian regimes often kidnap their own citizens in other countries, yes.

That's not really what we're talking about here though

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Tautalogically that is totally tautological.