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And that’s where you’re dead wrong. TikTok is a vessel for any kind of content, with no visibility into the reason why a specific kind of information is display

by 9dev 2y ago

And that’s where you’re dead wrong. TikTok is a vessel for any kind of content, with no visibility into the reason why a specific kind of information is displayed to whom. Just think of Field Manual 30-31B if you doubt this capability could be put to good use in a propaganda campaign, if necessary. Sometimes, public opinion can be swayed very easily, by igniting the first spark with something outrageous; this is especially fruitful in times where the president of the United States openly opposes journalism, spreads lies, and generally fosters distrust and doubt. Lots of people are more inclined to believe a random TikTok than a professional journalist with decades of experience; what do you think were to happen if the Chinese government sees immediate value in the US government making a specific decision to their benefit, and one of the tools in their toolbox is playing a flurry of short videos to millions of American citizens, made to influence their understanding of an issue? Most people will follow a reasonable opinion if it's the first time they're confronted with a complex situation. TiktTok is the perfect tool to exploit this, by delivering this opinion to absurdly narrow target groups, in a matter of seconds. Just because you don't notice this right now does neither mean the capability doesn't exist nor that it isn't already happening—which may be one of the reasons there is a bipartisan effort to pull through.

6P58r3MXJSLi 2y ago
> is a vessel for any kind of content, with no visibility into the reason why a specific kind of information is displayed to whom and that makes it different from IG, Facebook, X, YouTube (etc etc) how exactly?
- 9dev 2y ago
  That China is a totalitarian regime, and the USA (at least for now) is a democracy. With all due criticism, there are still checks and balances in place in the US that make it a very different place. We're not talking about an objectively "correct" decision here, but what is in the best interest of the USA and its allies, and that certainly makes a difference when it comes to foreign influence on the own populace. All that being said: American Tech companies are dangerous in their own right, and nothing in my post was defending these either. But that doesn't make TikTok less of a threat.
  - 6P58r3MXJSLi 2y ago
    > That China is a totalitarian regime, and the USA (at least for now) is a democracy. This is actually false. The USA are a Republic, not a democracy. By constitution. > there are still checks and balances in place in the US If you are rich, maybe it's true. I give you that. > but what is in the best interest of the USA and its allies The US has no allies. My Country is a vassal of the US, we cannot decide anything geopolitically relevant on our own. Can we for example exit NATO? Of course we can't! They got military bases here, with atomic missiles, recently updated. We can't even negotiate the release of one of our own independently without the US giving the thumb up/down. So, please, before saying that what they do it's in our best interest, please, ask us. It's usually not, BTW. > But that doesn't make TikTok less of a threat My point: same threat should result in the same response to the threat. We should ban any non European propaganda machine on our soil. One simple example: we all know what went down with Cambridge Analytica and yet if you look for it, you won't find any reference to trials or convictions, because there was none! it had a massive influence on shifting political view of the people in UK and in the US, but you'll only find vague scolds to bad apples that unilaterally abused of one - with a clear conscience - social network, unknowingly to the management. Despite a ton of evidence of the contrary. How can you explain that?
    - 9dev 2y ago
      We're talking past each other. You're neither a citizen of the USA nor China, and since China has even less connection to your home country, you'd rather accept their influence than the US's—which is probably fair (even though I wouldn't assume that China is thinking of you any less dispensable). But that is not the talking point here. The current situation is the USA effectively banning TikTok in the USA to ensure national security. The particular interests of other foreign countries are not being considered here, and I honestly don't quite understand why you think they should be? It's not like the USA is forcing this decision on everyone else. > How can you explain that? Now look; I'm not an American myself. I'm also appalled at what Meta and X are doing; it's all awful. But this particular decision? It's just not about us, and yet I can still try to understand why it was taken, and how I think it is the correct one, from the perspective of the USA.

by 9dev 2y ago

6P58r3MXJSLi 2y ago

> is a vessel for any kind of content, with no visibility into the reason why a specific kind of information is displayed to whom and that makes it different from IG, Facebook, X, YouTube (etc etc) how exactly?

9dev 2y ago
That China is a totalitarian regime, and the USA (at least for now) is a democracy. With all due criticism, there are still checks and balances in place in the US that make it a very different place. We're not talking about an objectively "correct" decision here, but what is in the best interest of the USA and its allies, and that certainly makes a difference when it comes to foreign influence on the own populace. All that being said: American Tech companies are dangerous in their own right, and nothing in my post was defending these either. But that doesn't make TikTok less of a threat.
- 6P58r3MXJSLi 2y ago
  > That China is a totalitarian regime, and the USA (at least for now) is a democracy. This is actually false. The USA are a Republic, not a democracy. By constitution. > there are still checks and balances in place in the US If you are rich, maybe it's true. I give you that. > but what is in the best interest of the USA and its allies The US has no allies. My Country is a vassal of the US, we cannot decide anything geopolitically relevant on our own. Can we for example exit NATO? Of course we can't! They got military bases here, with atomic missiles, recently updated. We can't even negotiate the release of one of our own independently without the US giving the thumb up/down. So, please, before saying that what they do it's in our best interest, please, ask us. It's usually not, BTW. > But that doesn't make TikTok less of a threat My point: same threat should result in the same response to the threat. We should ban any non European propaganda machine on our soil. One simple example: we all know what went down with Cambridge Analytica and yet if you look for it, you won't find any reference to trials or convictions, because there was none! it had a massive influence on shifting political view of the people in UK and in the US, but you'll only find vague scolds to bad apples that unilaterally abused of one - with a clear conscience - social network, unknowingly to the management. Despite a ton of evidence of the contrary. How can you explain that?
  - 9dev 2y ago
    We're talking past each other. You're neither a citizen of the USA nor China, and since China has even less connection to your home country, you'd rather accept their influence than the US's—which is probably fair (even though I wouldn't assume that China is thinking of you any less dispensable). But that is not the talking point here. The current situation is the USA effectively banning TikTok in the USA to ensure national security. The particular interests of other foreign countries are not being considered here, and I honestly don't quite understand why you think they should be? It's not like the USA is forcing this decision on everyone else. > How can you explain that? Now look; I'm not an American myself. I'm also appalled at what Meta and X are doing; it's all awful. But this particular decision? It's just not about us, and yet I can still try to understand why it was taken, and how I think it is the correct one, from the perspective of the USA.