• ViXY_DBC@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    I would remind people:

    Tiktok is the only major social media platform that doesn’t demand a phone number to register or verify identity.

    It is also the only social media platform that isn’t controlled by Meta or Google (reddit is now effectively in bed with Google).

    Establishing and enforcing industry wide data security is a good thing, killing the only somewhat independent social media platform is a dictatorship style move.

    • remotelove@lemmy.ca
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      8 months ago

      If you were trying to make an argument to support TikTok, it’s a bad one.

      While it may not be directly controlled by the CCP, the Chinese government still has the power to coerce ByteDance’s executives to cooperate on a whim. Tech moguls have already been disappeared, so it’s fairly obvious money can’t buy anyone complete protection.

      Depending on what your news sources are, ByteDance has likely been sharing US data with China. This is magnitudes worse than a company selling data for profit to advertisers. Because of the prevalence of the app, it absolutely has the potential to be weaponized. It doesn’t take much to understand how a shitty little app could be leveraged to cause chaos. It’s about who really holds control over the company.

      In my own personal opinion, short form videos are fucking cancer. All media companies that promote them need to fuck off.

      • CeeBee@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        While it may not be directly controlled by the CCP

        It basically is. The concept of a “company” in China is different than in democratic countries. They’re effectively CCP corporate offices.

        • remotelove@lemmy.ca
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          8 months ago

          The smaller “independent” banks are the same way. The only people that have the influence to start large companies are people that are deeply rooted in the CCP or have close ties to their central bank, which is CCP controlled.

    • dysprosium@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      8 months ago

      Tiktok is the only major social media platform that doesn’t demand a phone number to register or verify identity.

      Ohh such a relief! It’s not that it tracks a billion other things from the user

      killing the only somewhat independent social media platform is a dictatorship style move.

      Feels weird calling a super big company “independent” in a good way

    • Adanisi@lemmy.zip
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      8 months ago

      Fun fact: TikTok was caught behaving like malware on android and abusing bugs to get information it shouldn’t have.

      There is no need to compare it to anything. Anything that does that should be struck down hard.

      • Bartsbigbugbag@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Fun fact, Facebook was caught doing the same thing with its apps. Hell, Facebook was caught FORCING YOUR MICROPHONE ON AND RECORDING YOUR CONVERSATIONS

    • ilinamorato@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      It is also the only social media platform that isn’t controlled by Meta or Google (reddit is now effectively in bed with Google).

      Even if it weren’t puppeted by the CCP, ByteDance still makes a little over half what Meta does. By essentially any definition, it’s a massive company that’s in the same league as Alphabet and Meta.

      Also… “The only” one? You’re literally on the Fediverse now. Smaller, yes, but you didn’t say “the only major one.”

    • Mastengwe@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      It also is a huge security risk in that it will steal your info and send it to china.

      But don’t let this get in the way of praising them for…. Not asking for a phone number?

      • ViXY_DBC@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        What social media platform isn’t a security risk? Goggle knows everyone down to a T, and Meta’s platform has been used overseas for pretty awful things. The US government has not find any instances of information being systematically stolen by TT and send to Chinese government.

        Being concerned is good, being concerned only about tiktok and without actual evidence is leaning into unsavory racial bias.

        Again, shore up data security laws, enforce data security laws, don’t play on racial fear and trample 1st amendment.

        • Mastengwe@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          “They all do it” isn’t an excuse to allow any ONE of them to continue doing it.

          If we can take one down- we can eventually take them ALL down.

          • ViXY_DBC@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Except you can’t take them all down. And nobody is talking about taking them all down in the US government.

            I am absolutely not in favor of shutting down all social media platform.

            Look at how our maim stream media censoring news coming out of Gaza, it’s hard to imagine the current level of outrage against the genocide being generated without tiktok and Instagram.

            They now serve an important function and that is vital.