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IMHO if someone is a privacy advocate and they aren’t cheering this on and trying to push for more regulation or control of our data, I don’t know what to say.
by genmud 4y ago
IMHO if someone is a privacy advocate and they aren’t cheering this on and trying to push for more regulation or control of our data, I don’t know what to say. It probably has the most likelihood of making meaningful changes to the way we approach big tech.
- bakuninsbart 4y agoAs a non-American, I'd be cheering on legislation for stronger data protection, but this isn't really it. Banning TikTok is first and foremost a protectionist policy lobbied for by Facebook and the others. I think it is also short-sighted at that. If the national security concerns are valid, then they are also valid regarding Meta and Google in other countries. US legislation will serve as a shining beacon for privacy advocates in the EU to ban or heavily regulate these data kraken as well. Even China had better reasons to ban Facebook, and can rightfully claim hypocrisy on the USs part once again. Banning your competitors could also fracture the internet. For many young people, TikTok, Youtube and Instagram are the internet. It is an incredible means of soft power for the US currently, but they risk isolating themselves as TikTok might succeed without the American market as well. The big problem is the asymmetry though. If you only go after specific companies on dubious grounds instead of crafting clear legislation applying to all companies in the sector, that's not in the spirit of constitutional democracy. It allows government and media to decide the winners and losers of the economy, which gives them power far beyond what is chaste.