this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2024
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I haven't followed it too closely, but I know this has been years in the making so the company should have a contingency plan. You have to wonder why the company refuses to take steps satisfactory to Congress to ensure that the CCP cannot access user data or influence the content or algorithm. It is economically suicidal to be banned in the US, which makes me think that Bytedance's CCP masters told the company to refuse. Of course, now that the law has been passed, Bytedance will have to separate their interests since I doubt they'll allow the app to be banned. They'd lose most of their advertising revenue if they were banned in the US. Not to mention the fact that a US ban would likely be followed by bans in other countries. I'm sure Bytedance can find a way to have another company manage their data while still making plenty of money. No need to pity a company making billions in revenue on the labour of content creators.
They can't really have a contingency because they won't sell. They can't due to the laws there anyway. It's been plainly stated countless times. We'll see how it goes but regardless the US gov is playing dirty here under the guise of protecting our security. The people clearly said no the first two times and they shoved it through anyway. I don't see how people don't find that at least a little alarming
You make a good point about Bytedance perhaps not being permitted to have a contingency plan. However, the CCP may have one. Whatever Xi says is law in China.
And he's said that companies can't sell property like the TikTok algorithm to other countries. I highly doubt he'll suddenly have a change of heart now. I honestly hope he doesn't because the US shouldn't be making legislation against its own citizens wishes just to fuck with China in the first place.
Why do you say that Congress is making legislation against its own citizens' wishes? A quick Google search shows that polls suggest that twice as many Americans favour the ban as oppose it.
I'm still trying to figure out what the downside of this legislation is. It doesn't ban any specific content or speech, it just bans a particular company from operating a specific platform in the US. Tiktok is still permitted to operate if it is controlled by a company that isn't directly subject to the CCP. If Xi chooses to not let that happen, that is on him. Xi certainly can't cry foul without massive hypocrisy, given that he has already banned virtually all western social media.
Lmao polls. Ok. We'll just ignore the fact that the large public outcry the last two hearings stalled the proceedings forcing them to shove it through with another bill I guess.
It's literally illegal to make legislation targeting a single company. If you don't see a problem with them breaking their own laws to please their corporate overlords then I don't know what else I can tell you.
My favorite part about replies like yours is how willing you are to stoop to the same level of China in retaliation. Even if it impacts millions of US citizens. But that doesn't matter to you because you don't like or use the app so what do you care right? Not to even mention the people that make a living through it.
Whoa, take it easy there, friend. That got personal rather quickly. Are you mad? I don't have a horse in this race one way or the other. I don't use Tiktok but I don't have anything against it either. It seems to me that social media apps pop up like dandelions and the main thing that determines whether or not they thrive is the number of people participating. I guess I'm wondering why anyone should care if Tiktok in particular survives or some other social media platform takes its place. They rise, they fall, but there always seems to be a replacement.