TikTok sending push alerts urging to call lawmakers to stop a ban

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/11/tiktok-continues-push-alert-campaign-00146343

Which does to show that only because an app represents a totalitarian government like the CCP, it doesn't mean that they don't know how to manipulate the democratic process.

I hope they get banned so much. Only things that makes me follow this topic less is that I am afraid of the disappointed in case they don't get banned.

Please ban, If not demonetize them.

Americans being afraid of a chinese app is pretty funny, so I wouldn't mind if it stayed. Really don't care either way though. Never used TikTok and never will. Also don't live in the US.

Don't really care about the geopolitical side of all this. Benefit of living in a neutral country.

I just want to see all social media die. If banning or shutting down one of Xhitter, Farcebook, DickCock or whatever makes at least some people abandon social media and go touch some grass, that would be a net benefit to humanity.

Never been.

Tick Tiock is trash but shouldn't be banned.

Seeing how it consumes young kids and even adults and the algorithm used to keep people addicted I’d like to see it banned. I deleted my Instagram and Facebook a couple years ago, forums are enough social media for me. I don’t care to see all the obnoxious content people post on their social media pages so I don’t miss it.

I love this TikTok polemics. Just because it gives perspective on how important is social media for the ruling class, that they are terrified of a Chinese variant. Like if the US could undo USSR getting nuclear weapons.

I'm indifferent either way.

@sargentd: it feels like some of the liberal guys in the group just assume the opposite opinion of Trump in every topic.

And you just assume his exact opinion in every topic.

And even if he changes it, you change it with him.

@nirgal: Did I miss something?

Trump hates Tiktok, and tried to get it banned when he was president.

He issued an executive order against it, calling it a national emergency and a national security threat, since it allows China to blackmail Americans and commit corporate espionage:

https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-posed-tiktok/

Isn't this an issue that Trump and Biden agree on?

@Planeforger: until recently yes. But he was visited by a large TikTok investor lately that offered to finance his campaign and now he is all fine with TikTok.

@madrocketeer: How is UK "neutral" towards China? UK and China still lash it out over Hong Kong.

Anyway... No love lost. All Tiktok needs to do is to sell to a non-Chinese buyer.

I don't really see an issue with this.

Companies are free to do what they wish. If they want to reinvest their profit into saving the Amazon rainforest, they can; if they want to post a notice asking people to stop a ban, that's fine. If they want to do a yearly fund raising campaign like Wikipedia, that's cool too.

While China is a competitor for sure, I don't really think we should view them as an enemy and thus ban stuff they make.

Let's not forget that the whole reason this was an issue is because some idiot Senator or Congressman had TikTok installed on their phone they were taking to classified meetings, which wasn't so much a TikTok problem but a general security clearance problem with the person.

Yeah, that shit is poison.

I haven't been on Facebook in years and am quite happier as a result, and I only go on Instagram to look at pictures of food and hot cosplay babes 😋 I don't really use the "social" aspects of social media.

@mrbojangles25: I think the perception change if you see bytedance as it is: a proxy for the Chinese communist party.

Which is the same as all other large Chinese companies.

They never operate in this politically sensitive topic without the guidance and approval of the CCP and have internally CCP representatives to make sure that is the case.

And as a side note, every foreign social media company is banned In china.

They don't deserve to be profiting abroad from this business while blocking everyone else in their own market.

So when Trump said Tiktok was a national security threat, and he made an executive order that began to ban the platform, and Tiktok challenged his administration in court about the ban...you thought Trump was wrong?

What are you talking about? When have I ever called for banning tick tock?

I dont even know trumps opinion on this, honestly figured he'd want to ban it lol

Yeah because China is authoritarian asf and wants to control all communication and media within its population.

Honestly thought Trump was for banning ticktocks, I'm just now finding out he's changed his opinion on it. I do remember this but it never went any where.

Whether Trump is for or against banning ticktock tho..not important enough to make me vote Biden over Trump lol.

@sargentd: it's not only information control, it's also a trade barrier.

Services also make money for a country.

They also block steam despite it having nothing to do with free speech.

Its hard to control narrative on foreign platforms. Land of free my ass.

TikTok's blowing up your phone with alerts urging you to fight a ban. Here's the deal:

• TikTok doesn't want to get banned, and they're asking YOU to contact lawmakers to stop it.

Before you call:

• Read the alert closely: What law are they talking about? Why don't they want it to pass?
• Do some digging: Search online for "[name of law] TikTok" or "[name of law] explained." Are there other sides to the story?
• Think for yourself: Do you agree with TikTok's arguments? Are there other things to consider?

Then you can decide:

• Call your lawmakers (if you want!): The alert will tell you how.
• Voice your opinion online: Let people know what you think!
• Just chill: It's your call.

The important thing is to be informed before you take action.

From China... a real BASTION of Freedom of Speech...

Come on, dude.

@nintendoboy16: yes, the law would be more a de-platforming than a ban, it would reduce TikTok exposure massively and would make it so that you need to download a file through a browser to install in Android and frankly I don't know how you would install in an iphone.

But it seems the law is designed to resist freedom of speech challenges by not outright banning the app.

It's part "I don't like what the young people like", part "we gotta protect US companies from competition", part "easy political points by appearing to be anti-China", and a tiny tiny percentage of it being actual security threat (it's not anymore than literally any other service is).

It's bipartisan because it's not an issue between haves and have-nots.

Haven't researched anything at all about TikTok and I don't use it so I don't care. What exactly are the concerns?

UK has never been a neutral country.

I bet YouTube is hoping to see TikTok getting banned for good as YouTube has been trying to compete with TikTok for a long time and now that YouTube Shorts are starting to get popular, it won't be long now for YouTube to get more recruit users joining YouTube Shorts.

@nintendoboy16:

Who says I'm currently living in the UK?

I just grew up there. I don't live there anymore.

The bill passed in the house. Fingers crossed that it will go to senate and also pass there.

Pd: I think personally, as the only person who has actually lived in china and has good knowledge of how much of a piece of shit the government is there, I am the only one aware of the danger of giving those guys even a small degree of power over your media. ( They will **** you up)

And knowing them as I do, I can assure you TikTok is already sharing private user data with the Chinese government. They don't have either the power to resist a request nor the disposition to do it

I thought you were last we spoke.

Oh him, he lives in New Zealand.

Trump can reflect and decide that he made an error, or maybe it's one of those things like "But now I'm not the president" where he will take a bad faith position on purpose?

Also incorrect. I lived there for 5 years, but not anymore either.

@girlusocrazy: he is being financed by a major TikTok investor.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91058467/who-is-jeff-yass-billionaire-donating-to-republicans-who-flipped-on-bytedance-tiktok-ban

A guy called Jeff yass. My guess is that he will be pawn the CCP will use to influence trump if he is to become the new president.

@nirgal: I see

So because China is authoratarian and bans western media in thier country..

You think America should act like China.. and ban thier media in our country?

Not trying to be snarky.. just seems like turning into what we don't like.. to combat what we don't like.. don't see banning tick stock giving us any actual benefit..

I'm hearing conspiracies that the US government is feeling inclined to ban it because there are alot of people here in the states posting content about the conflict in palestine with Israel and calling it a genocide.. and the US government doesn't like that.

@sargentd: it should be noted that

the current law as it is doesn't actually ban it. It removes it from American owned platforms.

I would go further. my approach would be to demonetize it. Simply don't allow payment from American companies or allow advertisment within the platform but to allow speech.

Frankly, this is a slippery slope. The platform is already large enough to allow the CCP to have substantial influence on American politics.

If in future elections for instance if there is foul play by an American social media company, the USA government will, to an extent ,be able to guide it or curtail it .

With TikTok you have a substantial part of the population being manipulated from an early age by the CCP. And basically zero influence from your own government on what It can do.

There is also an equaly important aspect of fair trade:

American media companies cannot operate in any capacity within the china market, but Chinese companies can easily rip profit within the USA. It shows weakness to allow this to happen.

Also as a personal note to you, I would be careful to believe in any conspiracy theory without informing yourself well about it and getting a wide range of opinions from more knowledgeable people.

Anti Israeli or anti Palestine content can be posted in any platform as long as the wording is measured.

And when trump tried to ban the app originally the conspiracy theory was that he was trying to prevent young liberals to speak against him.

@nirgal: I still don't see this big benefit and it's anti free Market and anti freedom of speech. It's the opposite of what American beliefs are.

the current law as it is doesn't actually ban it. It removes it from American owned platforms.

so.. finding a legal loophole to censor something, make it way more diffult to access, but say "hey we didnt ban tick tock.. we just banned it off your "american owned platforms"...

come on man.. your not that daft..

I would go further. my approach would be to demonetize it. Simply don't allow payment from American companies or allow advertisment within the platform but to allow speech.

^^ nonsense.. the government can't just be able to arbitrarily decide which platforms are allowed to advertise or make money.. they shouldn't be able to control American companies from advertising on a platform because the platform is owned by another country.. don't agree with that

Frankly, this is a slippery slope. The platform is already large enough to allow the CCP to have substantial influence on American politics.

^^ Ironically the bigger "slippery slope" is give the US government the right to enforce the kind of stuff your proposing.. I've seen what on tick tock.. it's trash content but it's not CCP propaganda, unless tweaking and pranks, and pet videos, and car crashes, are ccp propoganda lol

If in future elections for instance if there is foul play by an American social media company, the USA government will, to an extent ,be able to guide it or curtail it .

Give me an example of this "foul play"...

And no.. they shouldn't be "guiding" or "curtailing" private companies

THAT SOUNDS LIKE CCP BS RIGHT THERE!!

@sargentd: an example of foul play would be amplifying false negative content of a given candidate that the CCP dislikes just before an election.

Would you be ok with providing them the capacity to do that just to protect an oversimplified version of the American ideal ?

Another example would be to provide given candidates with higher levels of positive media exposure in exchange of voting the right way on china related policy.

There is also a big issue of trade fairness that you have not addressed.

CCP are clowning themselves over this. They claim that the party has no control over Tiktok, but are pissed over the potential ban, because it would be against China's interests, pretty much admitting that the government is the real owner.

And the constant crying about the free market and other nonsense is just insane, coming from CCP, when Tiktok is banned in China itself, not to mention the dozens of westerner apps and services. US should just say "OK, allow this exact version of Tiktok to operate freely in China and we won't ban it in US".

Your answers do not instill confidence in me.

Agree to disagree

https://www.newsweek.com/china-defense-tiktok-hit-x-community-note-1879531

China government has come in to the defense of TikTok on x and x flagged the post for context: ;-D

"""

Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has flagged a Chinese government post for saying the House of Representatives vote on Wednesday to separate TikTok from its Chinese owner ByteDance is "on the wrong side of fair competition."

Flag:

"TikTok is banned in the People's Republic of China,"

China has also blocked access to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Google services. X itself is also banned—though Chinese diplomats use the microblogging app to deliver Beijing's messaging to the wider world.

"""

I mean if China didn't ban almost every social platform I would kinda get their point.

**** the Chinese government. **** Xi.

Seems that the bill to de-platform TikTok has passed.

The house republicans attached the bill to the foreign act bill to force the democrats in the Senate to speed it up.

Next step is for Biden to sign it ( he already said he will)

And then to see if it can withstand legal challenges. That will be the largest potential impediment for implementation.

cool.

do facebook next.

https://twitter.com/TikTokPolicy/status/1783149300471525637

TikTok and the Chinese government are claiming that the law is unconstitutional and violates freedom of speech.

I wonder if they can use the same argument to get TikTok itself and others unbanned in china.

Less cringe and attention seeking girls.

Thank you big brother.

It's funny how the world works.

You end with a Chinese government backed organization that has the international version of it's app restricted inside mainland china due to non openly applying censorship, argue in front another country, that forcing it's sales to a non Chinese owner under threat of not allowing it on American app platforms constitutes a violation of freedom of speech.

Yet traditional media has long not been allowed to be owned by foreigners in the USA (let alone officially designated foreign adversaries)

And this doesn't even take in to consideration the trade asymmetry of foreign social media not being allowed inside of china and Chinese social media making money abroad.

I wonder if Bobby Kotick regretted not buying TikTok when he had the chance?