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At a basic level, I agree there’s not a fundamental difference. But I think it’s reasonable to look at practical differences between China and the US and consid
by jshmrsn 6y ago
At a basic level, I agree there’s not a fundamental difference. But I think it’s reasonable to look at practical differences between China and the US and consider which one you’d prefer to be secretly recording your personal data. The US has cultural and constitutional support of free speech, due process, and independent judiciary. On the flip-side, the US has PRISM, theocrats, an insane president, and a history of covert violent foreign intervention. China has little support for freedom of speech, separation of powers, etc.. And is frequently accused of extrajudicially disappearing people for their speech/beliefs.
I think at present I’d still significantly prefer the US over China to secretly collect my personal data (even if I wasn’t a US citizen). It’s certainly possible that difference will further erode over time.
I don’t necessarily mean to endorse banning Chinese apps, as that seems very problematic and arguably cuts against our own value system. It’s always seemed very protectionist when China did that to us, and it seems the same when we do it to them, and comes with the same surface area for corporate corruption of our government.
- f6v 6y agoBut does this make a difference in practice? I’ve been to China only for short business trips, so I can’t judge. But when I looked at the city and talked to people in China and outside of it, I didn’t get an impression people are oppressed or suffering. I don’t claim I have the evidence, but it’s just that so many people here paint a grim picture and I’m afraid it’s only based on US propaganda.
- nostromo 6y agoYes, it’s very different. Here’s a Chinese interrogation video of a “suspect” being interrogated for posting a comment mildly criticizing the local police on QQ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiMLVYK4hEc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiMLVYK4hEc
- f6v 6y agoHow do you know it’s not staged?
- jshmrsn 6y agoHow China Uses High-Tech Surveillance to Subdue Minorities: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/world/asia/china-surveillance-xinjiang.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/world/asia/china-surveill... 53 Hong Kong democrats, activists arrested under security law: https://hongkongfp.com/2021/01/06/breaking-over-50-hong-kong-democrats-arrested-under-security-law-over-2020-legislative-primaries/?fbclid=IwAR2xalyyhSBp_A8IgGc087d7VcbBAVbkVRZEgu0C28ZYsWREruaLWmZuv18 https://hongkongfp.com/2021/01/06/breaking-over-50-hong-kong...
- tzs 6y agoIt’s also to a significant extent moot because much of the data that can’t be gathered from banned apps in the US can be bought from data brokers. When your domestic privacy laws are weak enough to allow a largely unregulated marketplace in personal information and to largely allow domestic apps to gather and sell personal information, banning foreign apps that also do so won’t keep such data out of foreign hands.
- trasz 6y agoHonestly? China doesn’t have a history of getting anyone extradited for whatever reason, neither does it murder foreign citizens with drones.