Read this:

www.cnn.com/2020/07/07/tech/us-tiktok-ban/index.html

TikTok is a very shady app. I’ve seen many people talking about how it collects a ridiculous amount of information on you. I don’t trust anything that the Chinese government has their hands in, to be honest. However, I don’t think a ban would go over well with how popular it is.

TikTok is a very shady app. I’ve seen many people talking about how it collects a ridiculous amount of information on you. I don’t trust anything that the Chinese government has their hands in, to be honest. However, I don’t think a ban would go over well with how popular it is.

Basically this.

Yes, I do not trust it either, and find it annoying!

TikTok is a very shady app. I’ve seen many people talking about how it collects a ridiculous amount of information on you. I don’t trust anything that the Chinese government has their hands in, to be honest. However, I don’t think a ban would go over well with how popular it is.
I mean Facebook had also very similar charges in the past, many times even. But since it's the Chinese now, suddenly political reasons are weighting in much harder despite this practice being quite common.

Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack.
'Cause when I leave for the night, I ain't comin' back.

iP6XpLQM2Cs

Only because it's a way for the CCP and the companies it governs to make money and gain influence (even if they completely respected privacy), but otherwise I'm not sure.

Yes. If you use an internet service that you don't have to pay for, it's because you're the product.

Yes. If you use an internet service that you don't have to pay for, it's because you're the product.
I use adblockers in protest and I try to visit few websites these days anyway. Most are quite triggering for me.

It should. I already hate the app for its cringy content (every app has cringe, but TikTok just takes the cake for me), but with the allegations of ByteDance failing to protect children's privacy on the Internet and sending personal user data to the CCP,  it'll probably be banned on US servers if these things turn out to be true.

It should. I already hate the app for its cringy content (every app has cringe, but TikTok just takes the cake for me), but with the allegations of ByteDance failing to protect children's privacy on the Internet and sending personal user data to the CCP,  it'll probably be banned on US servers if these things turn out to be true.
I just hate that it's 2010s crap and I envy users on there. Plus, the CCP deal is an issue too - they're using the companies they govern to try and gain more influence for China and to expand and enforce their own political norms.

I have been thinking of this question since reading about it.

I don't trust the Chinese at all. Unfortunately, the U.S. has basically handed the world to the Chinese with companies shipping jobs over there for decades and workers getting paid 4 cents to make a $45 doll. https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-women-workers-make-4-cents-producing-45-disney-dolls-1246857

But, the American consumer likes its cheap products so we look the other way when it comes to human rights.

The Chinese have been undermining U.S. business for some time now. If you buy anything on Amazon-be very careful. Many times Amazon will not say where the items are coming from. You may pick something out because it is cheaper but then you discover that you just bought a knockoff from China. The same thing on eBay.

Since U.S. tech companies like Apple, Microsoft and the like, have their products built in China, that means the Chinese have access to U.S. technology and over the years they have used that same technology to undermine the U.S.

Enter China's dictator Xi Jinping and dictator wannabe Donald Trump. Trump will (dare I say it) kowtow to Xi and who cares that Xi is targeting the U.S. in this cyber war. (Just like he will do nothing when Putin put a bounty on U.S. military.) I am quite sure that Xi is collecting a lot of data on Americans (just like Putin is).

Allowing Chinese apps to go unmonitored could spell disaster for its users. Should it be banned? Only if we don't put in security measures and make sure that the Chinese are living up to that measure. And that should be for ALL apps-no matter where they originate from.


Cat 

I have been thinking of this question since reading about it.

I don't trust the Chinese at all. Unfortunately, the U.S. has basically handed the world to the Chinese with companies shipping jobs over there for decades and workers getting paid 4 cents to make a $45 doll. https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-women-workers-make-4-cents-producing-45-disney-dolls-1246857

But, the American consumer likes its cheap products so we look the other way when it comes to human rights.

The Chinese have been undermining U.S. business for some time now. If you buy anything on Amazon-be very careful. Many times Amazon will not say where the items are coming from. You may pick something out because it is cheaper but then you discover that you just bought a knockoff from China. The same thing on eBay.

Since U.S. tech companies like Apple, Microsoft and the like, have their products built in China, that means the Chinese have access to U.S. technology and over the years they have used that same technology to undermine the U.S.

Enter China's dictator Xi Jinping and dictator wannabe Donald Trump. Trump will (dare I say it) kowtow to Xi and who cares that Xi is targeting the U.S. in this cyber war. (Just like he will do nothing when Putin put a bounty on U.S. military.) I am quite sure that Xi is collecting a lot of data on Americans (just like Putin is).

Allowing Chinese apps to go unmonitored could spell disaster for its users. Should it be banned? Only if we don't put in security measures and make sure that the Chinese are living up to that measure. And that should be for ALL apps-no matter where they originate from.


Cat

The US isn't exactly sinless too and has its companies harvest data from its users. However, as messed up as the US is at least people have some speck of power there (I'm not sure but the Civil Rights Act caused a change in the US that China since after the Second World War could not have done especially from those who are unsympathetic with the CCP), although the country is ruled by religious fundamentalists and capitalists whom I recently found out for some who worked with the Nazis for pure profit. In China, even the Hong Kong protests can't stop the CCP from getting what it wants.

There are open source and more privacy-conscious alternatives to some social media that are popping up - Raddle is an anarchist alternative to Reddit that doesn't attempt to betray users' privacy, Mastodon is an alternative to Twitter, Peertube and LBRY to YouTube (although sadly both seem to not be of a very good quality and LBRY is more about cryptocurrency too). Matrix is an open-source instant messaging alternative to Discord (as are Signal and Telegram to WhatsApp). However, since Snapchat and TikTok are more for "fluff" content, alternatives to those will simply not exist.

Capitalism is a terrible system and I want to see a viable replacement for it soon (one that is not as repressive as what China and Iran, although technically capitalist societies, have or strive to achieve towards).

It should. I already hate the app for its cringy content (every app has cringe, but TikTok just takes the cake for me), but with the allegations of ByteDance failing to protect children's privacy on the Internet and sending personal user data to the CCP,  it'll probably be banned on US servers if these things turn out to be true.
It highly depends on what videos you watch on Tiktok. Like YouTube, there are some videos that are fun to watch, and some that are cringy. Its not like 100% of the content there are dumb and stupid, I actually found lots of videos that I found funny there...

It highly depends on what videos you watch on Tiktok. Like YouTube, there are some videos that are fun to watch, and some that are cringy. Its not like 100% of the content there are dumb and stupid, I actually found lots of videos that I found funny there...


Fair enough. There were some funny TikToks I've seen, but they were in the minority.

I mean Facebook had also very similar charges in the past, many times even. But since it's the Chinese now, suddenly political reasons are weighting in much harder despite this practice being quite common.
That's the funny part that everybody seems to overlook. Sensitive information of users have been collected for decades by Google and Facebook and no one cared. ::)

It highly depends on what videos you watch on Tiktok. Like YouTube, there are some videos that are fun to watch, and some that are cringy. Its not like 100% of the content there are dumb and stupid, I actually found lots of videos that I found funny there...


Ok, I gotta admit something... I actually kinda like TikTok. If you search for tags you’re interested in then the experience is a lot more pleasant. I like looking at it for fashion. It can also be very cute and light-hearted. It’s a lot more light-hearted and uplifting than most social media platforms. I like searching the #decades tag and seeing the fashion people put together for different decades  ;D too bad it’s Chinese spyware...

Ok, I gotta admit something... I actually kinda like TikTok. If you search for tags you’re interested in then the experience is a lot more pleasant. I like looking at it for fashion. It can also be very cute and light-hearted. It’s a lot more light-hearted and uplifting than most social media platforms. I like searching the #decades tag and seeing the fashion people put together for different decades  ;D too bad it’s Chinese spyware...

Even if it were changed to not be spyware the repressive Chinese government benefits economically from its use. Otherwise as I mentioned I envy it since it gives me mixed feelings - users on there make me envious and it's generally full of 2010s junk.
As for it being light-hearted, I just see it as a distraction used by the company and maybe mandated by the government.

Even if it were changed to not be spyware the repressive Chinese government benefits economically from its use. Otherwise as I mentioned I envy it since it gives me mixed feelings - users on there make me envious and it's generally full of 2010s junk.
As for it being light-hearted, I just see it as a distraction used by the company and maybe mandated by the government.


By envious do you mean because everyone on there is attractive? I mean same. But at the same time that’s also why I like it because everyone is hot lmao. And yea I know that sounds shallow, but sometimes you need a little eye candy once in a while, you know?  ;)

Read this:

www.cnn.com/2020/07/07/tech/us-tiktok-ban/index.html


Having read the article I don’t see what the problem is. The data is not stored in China,  or covered by Chinese laws.

Apparently Tik Tok is not even available as an app in China.

Having read the article I don’t see what the problem is. The data is not stored in China,  or covered by Chinese laws.

Apparently Tik Tok is not even available as an app in China.
There's a localized version, known as douyin, that complies more strictly with Chinese laws. However, its child service that operates outside of China still benefits from the same company and government.

By envious do you mean because everyone on there is attractive? I mean same. But at the same time that’s also why I like it because everyone is hot lmao. And yea I know that sounds shallow, but sometimes you need a little eye candy once in a while, you know?  ;)

Precisely because they're attractive. However, the platform itself has had, um, some harassment problems and a lot of the users are underage too.

That's the funny part that everybody seems to overlook. Sensitive information of users have been collected for decades by Google and Facebook and no one cared. ::)
Part of it may be down to racism, and part of it may be down to idolization of capitalism, but also part of it is because it's practically impossible to even blockade the Chinese Communist Party let alone express discontent with them.

There's a localized version, known as douyin, that complies more strictly with Chinese laws. However, its child service that operates outside of China still benefits from the same company and government.Precisely because they're attractive. However, the platform itself has had, um, some harassment problems and a lot of the users are underage too.


This is true. There are some people who are way too young to being on the app and it’s a breeding ground for pedos.

Underage users is not only a problem on Tik Tok though is it? Many of the things people here are saying are problems with it are problems with many similar apps/websites

Underage users is not only a problem on Tik Tok though is it? Many of the things people here are saying are problems with it are problems with many similar apps/websites
It's not, no, but harassment of minors is particularly bad on platforms like TikTok and Tumblr.
Reddit made the news for issues with sex abuse, but Reddit itself doesn't appear as appealing to minors in some cases due to the nature of Reddit's content (text-based and at length as opposed to the short and media-based content that dominates TikTok, Tumblr, Snapchat and Instagram).

Really don’t care. Never used it.

I’m still confused as to why its gonna be banned. I have never used the app before although I have seen some corny/goofy videos of what kids do on there. Can someone tell me why its actually being banned because I hear different reasons.

I’m still confused as to why its gonna be banned. I have never used the app before although I have seen some corny/goofy videos of what kids do on there. Can someone tell me why its actually being banned because I hear different reasons.
Apparently it's not but I'm not sure, I'd have to go check that out. Mostly this comes down to politics as to why it's being banned or considered for being banned in the first place.

Really don’t care. Never used it.


Me neither, never cared for it.

I’m still confused as to why its gonna be banned. I have never used the app before although I have seen some corny/goofy videos of what kids do on there. Can someone tell me why its actually being banned because I hear different reasons.


It's due to the allegations of the Chinese government using personal user data for their own benefits. Also, the feds are investigating whether TikTok failed to protect the privacy of children on there. I always knew the app was scummy when it's part of a company that has suspicions of working with the CCP.

The problem I have is that some people seem bothered by this app only because of its link with China. This makes you sound racist to me as no one here was particularly shouting for Facebook to be banned even though they definitely were selling personal user data for political use

Facebook Cambridge Analytica

The problem I have is that some people seem bothered by this app only because of its link with China. This makes you sound racist to me as no one here was particularly shouting for Facebook to be banned even though they definitely were selling personal user data for political use

Facebook Cambridge Analytica



That's why I said that security measures should be in place no matter where the app is originated. And I do know about Facebook selling personal date which is why I have said MANY, MANY times that I don't trust them.


Cat

I now avoid Facebook too because of terrible privacy and personal reasons.

Still with the current political climate, neither the US nor China deserve to thrive economically and culturally.

The problem I have is that some people seem bothered by this app only because of its link with China. This makes you sound racist to me as no one here was particularly shouting for Facebook to be banned even though they definitely were selling personal user data for political use

Facebook Cambridge Analytica


I'm not being racist. The CCP has always been corrupt, especially with them censoring the Internet, minority discrimination, etc. While we're at it, I also don't trust Big Tech and Silicon Valley for their censorship and mishandling user data.

The problem I have is that some people seem bothered by this app only because of its link with China. This makes you sound racist to me as no one here was particularly shouting for Facebook to be banned even though they definitely were selling personal user data for political use

Facebook Cambridge Analytica


Really? Because I do think Facebook should also be banned. In all honesty, Mark Zuckerberg should be in prison, but unfortunately the crime to convict him with doesn't exist yet. And Twitter, unless they do clean up their act, which it appears they're trying to do.

Really? Because I do think Facebook should also be banned. In all honesty, Mark Zuckerberg should be in prison, but unfortunately the crime to convict him with doesn't exist yet. And Twitter, unless they do clean up their act, which it appears they're trying to do.
China has one plus in this regard - skepticism of capitalism even if they're actively benefitting from it and its use against minorities and political dissidents. America worships capitalism like they do God.

Really? Because I do think Facebook should also be banned. In all honesty, Mark Zuckerberg should be in prison, but unfortunately the crime to convict him with doesn't exist yet. And Twitter, unless they do clean up their act, which it appears they're trying to do.


I love what Bill Maher says about Mark Zuckerberg. "Why is one of the most socially inept people in the world in charge of social media?".  ;D

China has one plus in this regard - skepticism of capitalism even if they're actively benefitting from it and its use against minorities and political dissidents. America worships capitalism like they do God.


China hasn't been Communist for at least 30 years. It's more like a statist capitalist system:

State capitalism is an economic system in which the state undertakes business and commercial economic activity (i.e. for-profit) and where the means of production are organized and managed as state-owned enterprises (including the processes of capital accumulation, centralized management and wage labor), or where there is otherwise a dominance of corporatized government agencies (agencies organized along business-management practices) or of public companies such as publicly listed corporations in which the state has controlling shares. Marxist literature defines state capitalism as a social system combining capitalism with ownership or control by a state. By this definition, a state capitalist country is one where the government controls the economy and essentially acts like a single huge corporation, extracting the surplus value from the workforce in order to invest it in further production. This designation applies regardless of the political aims of the state (even if the state is nominally socialist). Many scholars argue that the economy of the Soviet Union and of the Eastern Bloc countries modeled after it, including Maoist China, were state capitalist systems. They also argue that the current economy of China constitutes a form of state capitalism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_capitalism

By envious do you mean because everyone on there is attractive? I mean same. But at the same time that’s also why I like it because everyone is hot lmao. And yea I know that sounds shallow, but sometimes you need a little eye candy once in a while, you know?  ;)
Ooh 😏 Do you like Addison Rae or Dixie D?

Really? Because I do think Facebook should also be banned. In all honesty, Mark Zuckerberg should be in prison, but unfortunately the crime to convict him with doesn't exist yet. And Twitter, unless they do clean up their act, which it appears they're trying to do.
I don't think so, Facebook is a way of communicating with other people, sure you have Instagram and Snapchat but a lot of adults use FB still, sure the system is corrupt but I didnt hear a lot about how people lost their identity or anything, though this comment might not age well

I'm not being racist. The CCP has always been corrupt, especially with them censoring the Internet, minority discrimination, etc. While we're at it, I also don't trust Big Tech and Silicon Valley for their censorship and mishandling user data.
Don't forget about Christian discrimination...  :\'( I've heard Christians being prosecuted or killed by the CCP which is just shocking.

I don't think so, Facebook is a way of communicating with other people, sure you have Instagram and Snapchat but a lot of adults use FB still, sure the system is corrupt but I didnt hear a lot about how people lost their identity or anything, though this comment might not age well


Facebook does not steal identities or open you up to identity theft. Instead, it manipulates you by getting to know everything about you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook-Cambridge_Analytica_data_scandal
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/technology/facebook-privacy-hearings.html
https://privacyaustralia.net/9-things-you-didnt-know-about-facebook-privacy/
https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/06/facebook-data-misuse-and-voter-manipulation-back-in-the-frame-with-latest-cambridge-analytica-leaks/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/04/cambridge-analytica-data-leak-global-election-manipulation

Yeah because it's a dumb app

Yeah because it's a dumb app
Of the experience I have had of it, I struggle to understand it.

Facebook does not steal identities or open you up to identity theft. Instead, it manipulates you by getting to know everything about you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook-Cambridge_Analytica_data_scandal
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/technology/facebook-privacy-hearings.html
https://privacyaustralia.net/9-things-you-didnt-know-about-facebook-privacy/
https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/06/facebook-data-misuse-and-voter-manipulation-back-in-the-frame-with-latest-cambridge-analytica-leaks/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/04/cambridge-analytica-data-leak-global-election-manipulation



It does open you up to identity theft. By them manipulating you to get to know everything about you, a would-be theft could also know everything about you and use it to steal your identity.


Cat

It does open you up to identity theft. By them manipulating you to get to know everything about you, a would-be theft could also know everything about you and use it to steal your identity.


Cat


Good point.

Love it or hate it, Trump is officially planning on banning TikTok today :\'(

Love it or hate it, Trump is officially planning on banning TikTok today :\'(


That might just be the first step. Eventually he might ban all social media and censor the news media, and put everyone under surveillance.

Yes, yes, and definitely yes.