5 ms·

Is there some sort of hazmat suit one can use to, if not participate in, at least see what's happening on TikTok without letting Xi spy on me?

by hoseja 4y ago

sempron64 4y ago
Use an iphone and don’t give the app any permissions.
- _chu1 4y ago
  You think Xi's "Security" department isn't getting started on ripping open iOS?
- cloudking 4y ago
  Use the web version, not the app
  - rchaud 4y ago
    the web version throws up a sign in message after scrolling a bit, just like Instagram.
    - cloudking 4y ago
      Yes, but signing in there has way less permissions to your data than installing the app is my point.
nzoschke 4y ago
Find reposts on YouTube or Instagram. By definition if you sign into the TikTok app and service and interact with *anything* you're part of the machine. Of course with my solution you're part of the Google or Meta machine instead.
cumshitpiss 4y ago
ragnese 4y ago
I don't know, but I bit the bullet and joined TikTok a year or so ago in spite of all of my privacy-protecting practices I do for most things (uMatrix in Firefox, my always-on VPN, etc) just to see what had people so absorbed and/or alarmed about it. And I have to say that I'm terrified of it. I hate how alarmist and dramatic that is, but the utter falsehoods and vitriol that seems to go viral on there is just evil. I hate that a bunch of middle school children might be exposed to so much propaganda. From political messages to anti-vax fake science to "did you know?"-style rewriting of history, it's just awful. And so much of it is spread/re-shared by young, hip, people that kids will identify with as cool and/or trustworthy. And there's no real way to actually engage with any idea. Not only are the videos extremely short--way too short to actually make any legitimate points or arguments about a complex topic--but even the text replies are Twitter-style and only allow some handful of characters, so again, it's basically impossible to even refute any of these ridiculous falsehoods. The only possible discourse is to insult each other or share vacuous slogans, memes, and truisms. I know conspiracy theories and lies have always existed, and of course I realize that we were all taught history with some bias, etc. But the speed with which this stuff spreads is incredible. My partner has an 11 year old who was on TikTok and I was CONSTANTLY needing to correct him (gently, of course) when he would share a "fact" he "learned". A recent one was that the T-Rex skeleton's arms as we know them are actually backwards, and that "we" now know that they were more like little chicken wings. This was, of course, a fairly benign example, but I've had to correct him (with evidence) on other topics that make me much more concerned. Luckily, he's not on TikTok anymore.
- A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago
  I understand the concern, but is it that different from early 90s internet spread of drugs made of bananas or even before that urban legends? I know that it is easier to ban stuff than teach critical thinking skills, but I genuinely think the latter is preferable long term. In my defense, my kid is still too young to engage in this stuff so that might be the reason I am less alarmed. I hate to say it, but my parents did a fair amount of watching with us and they tried to put things in context ( I still remember my dad scolding me after I repeated blatant propaganda line I heard on the news ). The time you spend correcting your kid is not wasted.

Is there some sort of hazmat suit one can use to, if not participate in, at least see what's happening on TikTok without letting Xi spy on me?

by hoseja 4y ago

Is there some sort of hazmat suit one can use to, if not participate in, at least see what's happening on TikTok without letting Xi spy on me?

sempron64 4y ago

Use an iphone and don’t give the app any permissions.

_chu1 4y ago
You think Xi's "Security" department isn't getting started on ripping open iOS?
cloudking 4y ago
Use the web version, not the app
- rchaud 4y ago
  the web version throws up a sign in message after scrolling a bit, just like Instagram.
  - cloudking 4y ago
    Yes, but signing in there has way less permissions to your data than installing the app is my point.

nzoschke 4y ago

Find reposts on YouTube or Instagram. By definition if you sign into the TikTok app and service and interact with *anything* you're part of the machine. Of course with my solution you're part of the Google or Meta machine instead.

cumshitpiss 4y ago

ragnese 4y ago

I don't know, but I bit the bullet and joined TikTok a year or so ago in spite of all of my privacy-protecting practices I do for most things (uMatrix in Firefox, my always-on VPN, etc) just to see what had people so absorbed and/or alarmed about it. And I have to say that I'm terrified of it. I hate how alarmist and dramatic that is, but the utter falsehoods and vitriol that seems to go viral on there is just evil. I hate that a bunch of middle school children might be exposed to so much propaganda. From political messages to anti-vax fake science to "did you know?"-style rewriting of history, it's just awful. And so much of it is spread/re-shared by young, hip, people that kids will identify with as cool and/or trustworthy. And there's no real way to actually engage with any idea. Not only are the videos extremely short--way too short to actually make any legitimate points or arguments about a complex topic--but even the text replies are Twitter-style and only allow some handful of characters, so again, it's basically impossible to even refute any of these ridiculous falsehoods. The only possible discourse is to insult each other or share vacuous slogans, memes, and truisms. I know conspiracy theories and lies have always existed, and of course I realize that we were all taught history with some bias, etc. But the speed with which this stuff spreads is incredible. My partner has an 11 year old who was on TikTok and I was CONSTANTLY needing to correct him (gently, of course) when he would share a "fact" he "learned". A recent one was that the T-Rex skeleton's arms as we know them are actually backwards, and that "we" now know that they were more like little chicken wings. This was, of course, a fairly benign example, but I've had to correct him (with evidence) on other topics that make me much more concerned. Luckily, he's not on TikTok anymore.

A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago
I understand the concern, but is it that different from early 90s internet spread of drugs made of bananas or even before that urban legends? I know that it is easier to ban stuff than teach critical thinking skills, but I genuinely think the latter is preferable long term. In my defense, my kid is still too young to engage in this stuff so that might be the reason I am less alarmed. I hate to say it, but my parents did a fair amount of watching with us and they tried to put things in context ( I still remember my dad scolding me after I repeated blatant propaganda line I heard on the news ). The time you spend correcting your kid is not wasted.