4 ms·

A privacy law, for starters.

mfost 2y ago
As if that would even have any effect in that situation. No amount of audits and rules would prevent TikTok from collecting data and manipulating the public opinion.
- dns_snek 2y ago
  Why not monitor it? Create thousands of read-only accounts that "prefer" content with all kinds of ideological viewpoints and statistically analyze whether the algorithm is being biased to promote certain viewpoints. I'm not smart enough to implement something like that but it sounds like a solvable problem to me.
  - accrual 2y ago
    I thought about this too. In no way do I suggest it's an actual solution, but I wonder if some kind of reporting could be used as leverage to help appease US leaders towards a solution that doesn't require banning the app or handing it over to them.
metabagel 2y ago
How does that prevent China from using TikTok to inject malware?
- jackson1442 2y ago
  [ citation needed ]
  - metabagel 2y ago
    I don't think I need a citation to say that it's feasible for China to inject malware via the TikTok app on people's phones. Would it be difficult? I imagine so. But, I think the risk is such that the onus is to prove that it's not possible, not the other way around. China is a hostile power and an authoritarian regime. It's a different risk calculus than Facebook, which is not controlled by a dangerous foreign adversary.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
dataflow 2y ago
How exactly does that prevent an adversary from spreading propaganda? And what makes you think privacy laws would prevent foreign spies from spying?
- hackyhacky 2y ago
  The alleged national security implications of Tiktok are not based on spreading propaganda, but on gaining access to information about Americans. A privacy law would address that issue, as well as protected Americans' privacy from other companies, regardless of where they are based.
  - dataflow 2y ago
    > The alleged national security implications of Tiktok are not based on spreading propaganda, but on gaining access to information about Americans What? Doesn't the opinion itself literally say that the threat of "covert manipulation of the content" was one of the government's justification? Never mind the millions of times that Chinese control over the content people view has been brought up as a rationale both inside of Congress and outside? Haven't these been beaten to death already? https://reason.com/volokh/2025/01/17/speaking-with-and-in-favor-of-a-foreign-adversary-is-one-thing-allowing-a-foreign-adversary-to-spy-on-americans-is-another/ https://reason.com/volokh/2025/01/17/speaking-with-and-in-fa...
gWPVhyxPHqvk 2y ago
Where are you finding 60 Senators for that?

As if that would even have any effect in that situation. No amount of audits and rules would prevent TikTok from collecting data and manipulating the public opinion.

dns_snek 2y ago
Why not monitor it? Create thousands of read-only accounts that "prefer" content with all kinds of ideological viewpoints and statistically analyze whether the algorithm is being biased to promote certain viewpoints. I'm not smart enough to implement something like that but it sounds like a solvable problem to me.
- accrual 2y ago
  I thought about this too. In no way do I suggest it's an actual solution, but I wonder if some kind of reporting could be used as leverage to help appease US leaders towards a solution that doesn't require banning the app or handing it over to them.

metabagel 2y ago

How does that prevent China from using TikTok to inject malware?

jackson1442 2y ago
[ citation needed ]
- metabagel 2y ago
  I don't think I need a citation to say that it's feasible for China to inject malware via the TikTok app on people's phones. Would it be difficult? I imagine so. But, I think the risk is such that the onus is to prove that it's not possible, not the other way around. China is a hostile power and an authoritarian regime. It's a different risk calculus than Facebook, which is not controlled by a dangerous foreign adversary.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]

dataflow 2y ago

How exactly does that prevent an adversary from spreading propaganda? And what makes you think privacy laws would prevent foreign spies from spying?

hackyhacky 2y ago
The alleged national security implications of Tiktok are not based on spreading propaganda, but on gaining access to information about Americans. A privacy law would address that issue, as well as protected Americans' privacy from other companies, regardless of where they are based.
- dataflow 2y ago
  > The alleged national security implications of Tiktok are not based on spreading propaganda, but on gaining access to information about Americans What? Doesn't the opinion itself literally say that the threat of "covert manipulation of the content" was one of the government's justification? Never mind the millions of times that Chinese control over the content people view has been brought up as a rationale both inside of Congress and outside? Haven't these been beaten to death already? https://reason.com/volokh/2025/01/17/speaking-with-and-in-favor-of-a-foreign-adversary-is-one-thing-allowing-a-foreign-adversary-to-spy-on-americans-is-another/ https://reason.com/volokh/2025/01/17/speaking-with-and-in-fa...

gWPVhyxPHqvk 2y ago

Where are you finding 60 Senators for that?