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From what I understand it’s not just about spying. The Chinese Communist Party knows how harmful and addictive the algorithm is that the Chinese version of the

From what I understand it’s not just about spying. The Chinese Communist Party knows how harmful and addictive the algorithm is that the Chinese version of the app focuses on showing higher quality content (quality as judged by them). So if they know it’s harmful, they have an interest on showing low quality content to the western audience and possibly psychologically and intellectually affect an entire generation.

pphysch 2y ago
> The Chinese Communist Party knows how harmful and addictive the algorithm that the Chinese version of the app focuses on showing higher quality content This is pure conspiracy theory. You think the nation that produces and loves Grand Theft Auto needs a relatively puritan foreign country, where certain depictions of death are restricted in media, weed and porn are totally illegal, to push such debauchery on the American people?
- EduardoBautista 2y ago
  They were the first ones to do it at scale. Before, you had to seek out the debauchery. TikTok is saying, don’t worry, we have hundreds of scrollable hours waiting for you, just keep scrolling.
  - pphysch 2y ago
    Twitter, Instagram, Reddit also are infinitely doomscrollable, with equally if not more inane content. Vine hit the American streets long before TikTok before it was killed by mismanagement.
    - EduardoBautista 2y ago
      Vine had no where near as good of a recommendation algorithm as TikTok. Reddit for over a decade relied on self-curation and upvoting to determine what to show you. TikTok curated content without the need for a user to do anything else than scroll. You can have a remarkably well personalized TikTok experience without liking, following, or saving any content.
  - Thiez 2y ago
    Clearly you've never visited tumblr back in the day. They had both doomscrolling and a CSAM problem.
bluSCALE4 2y ago
Whenever I open YouTube in Private mode, I get nonstop soft porn material. US companies are doing enough harm all on their own.
- autoexec 2y ago
  I doubt being offered whatever youtube's version of 'soft porn material' is counts as "harm". There are clearly concerns over disinformation and outright lies with tiktok which we've seen can have hurt people, and I can understand that, but the same can be said for every other social media platform in use which makes singling out the one popular Chinese platform seem pretty suspicious.

pphysch 2y ago

> The Chinese Communist Party knows how harmful and addictive the algorithm that the Chinese version of the app focuses on showing higher quality content This is pure conspiracy theory. You think the nation that produces and loves Grand Theft Auto needs a relatively puritan foreign country, where certain depictions of death are restricted in media, weed and porn are totally illegal, to push such debauchery on the American people?

EduardoBautista 2y ago
They were the first ones to do it at scale. Before, you had to seek out the debauchery. TikTok is saying, don’t worry, we have hundreds of scrollable hours waiting for you, just keep scrolling.
- pphysch 2y ago
  Twitter, Instagram, Reddit also are infinitely doomscrollable, with equally if not more inane content. Vine hit the American streets long before TikTok before it was killed by mismanagement.
  - EduardoBautista 2y ago
    Vine had no where near as good of a recommendation algorithm as TikTok. Reddit for over a decade relied on self-curation and upvoting to determine what to show you. TikTok curated content without the need for a user to do anything else than scroll. You can have a remarkably well personalized TikTok experience without liking, following, or saving any content.
- Thiez 2y ago
  Clearly you've never visited tumblr back in the day. They had both doomscrolling and a CSAM problem.

bluSCALE4 2y ago

Whenever I open YouTube in Private mode, I get nonstop soft porn material. US companies are doing enough harm all on their own.

autoexec 2y ago
I doubt being offered whatever youtube's version of 'soft porn material' is counts as "harm". There are clearly concerns over disinformation and outright lies with tiktok which we've seen can have hurt people, and I can understand that, but the same can be said for every other social media platform in use which makes singling out the one popular Chinese platform seem pretty suspicious.