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US can’t ban TikTok for security reasons while ignoring Temu, other apps, TikTok argues (arstechnica.com)

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[-] AbsoluteChicagoDog@lemm.ee 4 points 1 hour ago

Now do Facebook and Amazon

[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 29 points 7 hours ago

The concern isn’t that these companies have microtargeting data. The concern is about what these companies could use that data for.

An off-brand t-shirt site would be a fairly ineffective vehicle for political propaganda. Tik Tok would be great at that.

[-] SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee 1 points 56 minutes ago

*tiktok IS great for that.

[+] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -11 points 5 hours ago

Isn't the primary critique of TikTok the number of American leftists and progressives posting on it?

Seems like the propaganda is coming from inside the house.

[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 12 points 5 hours ago

That’s definitely the critique coming from America’s right.

That said, both America’s left and right wing politicians seem to agree that it’s dangerous to have a mass media recommendation algorithm in the hands of a foreign adversary.

If they want to promote content favorable a Chinese political objective, they can use micro targeting data do that with extreme precision - if they wanted to.

It doesn’t matter who created the content or where it was created. What matters is the message of the content and who it’s being directed to.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -3 points 3 hours ago

That said, both America’s left and right wing politicians seem to agree that it’s dangerous to have a mass media recommendation algorithm in the hands of a foreign adversary.

The presumption that social media is an international weapon of war does raise some disturbing questions about the right to free speech.

It doesn’t matter who created the content or where it was created. What matters is the message of the content

What specifically are we referring to on TikTok qualifies that can't be found on a rival platform?

[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 5 points 2 hours ago

Propaganda is a very well known way to enact influence on a foreign nation. It’s so well known that the US has 90 year old laws that limit foreign ownership of US media. For example, in order for Rupert Murdock to own media in the US, he had to become a US citizen and renounce his Australian citizenship in the 80s.

The people making the content have the right freedom of speech, but the people making the editorial decisions on what is / isn’t shown do not have that same right if they are not American citizens.

If tomorrow morning, the CCP decided to start promoting pro-CCP videos made by Americans, they could. And they could use micro targeting to connect people with pro-CCP influencers that were relatable. For example, I like nerdy shit, so I might get propaganda from a content creator that liked a lot of the same nerdy shit I liked.

The primary concern isn’t the content, it’s who controls the editor’s desk.

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 19 points 7 hours ago

TikTok literally got people to commit check fraud

[-] BigBenis@lemmy.world 14 points 6 hours ago

TilTok likely got my car stolen (Hyundai vulnerability trended on TikTok)

[-] dan@upvote.au 12 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

That's Hyundai/Kia's fault though. For whatever reason, they cheaped out and didn't include an immobilizer in 2011-2022 models (meaning the cars don't actually verify that there's a key in it, so you can just remove the key hole and turn the ignition with a screwdriver or USB cable or whatever to start it).

Before TikTok, this would have just spread on different platforms...

I'm not defending TikTok though.

[-] Wildly_Utilize@infosec.pub 3 points 5 hours ago

yes i know a kia owner with a similar story

[-] Spaceballstheusername@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago

That's like saying YouTube or Facebook I forget which one, got people to eat tide pods. Information spreads on all platforms whether good or bad.

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Not really considering Youtube will nuke your fucking account if you promote criminal activity, TikTok will not. Therefore TikTok is liable.

TikTok also lied and made it seem like it wasn't a crime

[-] Spaceballstheusername@lemmy.world 0 points 1 hour ago

Then how did all these people eat tide pods. Once tiktok realized they were promoting check fraud they stopped it but you can't react fast enough for some of these things

[-] gens@programming.dev 5 points 4 hours ago

Twitch promoted gambling for children.

[-] Riven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 hours ago

They've infested other places too. Fuggin the sketchier pirate movie streaming sites have movies that just have gambling site watermarks all throughout the movie. It's crazy.

[-] Cyberjin@lemmy.world 12 points 6 hours ago

Yeah, better ban them all, don't see why not

[-] dan@upvote.au 3 points 5 hours ago

I understand blocking TikTok, and China already blocks US social media sites. I don't really understand blocking a shopping app, though. TikTok are grasping at straws.

Wouldn't this set a dangerous precedent? If the government blocks a shopping app, what else will they block in the future? It's a slippery slope to government censorship. China may do the same thing and block US stores, which would hurt the US economy.

[-] Cyberjin@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago

Shopping apps aren't really needed, I mean people could use the websites instead. So banning them wouldn't do any harm. Apps takes too much space & data anyways, which is not needed to function.

China bans stuffs all the time for no reason and makes laws that makes it difficult for a foreign business stay in China.

China’s Anti-Espionage Law Raises Foreign Business Risk

A lot of companies are preparing to leave or left China already for like India or Vietnam. It's a slow transition, but it's happening.

Apple's iPhone factory shift has left a ghost town behind in China

More Than 90% of North American Companies Have Relocated Production and Sourcing Over the Past Five Years

Why Companies Are Exiting China And What Leaders Can Do About It

[-] dan@upvote.au 1 points 2 hours ago

Shopping apps aren't really needed, I mean people could use the websites instead

You could say the same thing for probably half the apps in the app stores, and yet people keep installing the apps. On iPhones, I think part of it is the fact that iOS had such poor support for PWAs.

[-] Asifall@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago

I bet you they can actually

[-] noxy@yiffit.net 43 points 1 day ago

US tech companies too, you fucking cowards.

Facebook paid kids to install a VPN client on their smartphones so they could intercept AND DECRYPT traffic between competing services (like Snapchat, Amazon, Youtube)

facebook and any other company they acquire (or however they try to rebrand) are not only untrustworthy but active adversaries against common decency and basic privacy

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this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2024

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