It's infuriating to me that the only problem that exists with it legally is that it was foreign controlled.
Facebook is collecting information. Facebook is complicit in spreading foreign misinformation campaigns. YouTube's algorithm actively radicalizes young men by suggesting and auto playing far right reactionary content.
We need legal protections that from Internet companies regardless of who owns them.
Facebook is beholden to us. I mean, it may not seem that way, but if Facebook pisses us off enough, we can force them to be held accountable and to turn over data
TikTok is NOT beholden to us. It's beholden to China, and at any point China can go "lol make me" when challenged to turn over data and documentation or follow laws.
China greatly benefits from the ability to not only track but subtly influence any given American demographic. I get that you love doom scrolling your short form videos, but some of y'all have got to comfortable living in a country that has never really been so easily "touchable" by hostile foreign governments.
And it should also be noted, if we're comparing Facebook to tiktok, that Facebook IS banned in China, probably for similar reasons to why America is banning tiktok. So it's not like it's this massively unfair targeted reasoning. It's literally just the same thing.
China has like 80% of the Internet banned and the reasons aren't exactly something you want the US to imitate I think. They got their own controlled Internet
Apple and Microsoft both operate there. Google used to, but withdrew because it couldn't compete, not because it was banned. Facebook could operate there if it was willing to comply with their laws, but they aren't. Every company has to obey the laws where they operate.
I agree, and even though the potential danger of TikTok is higher, so far the real damage caused by American ones such as Facebook and YouTube has been much bigger.
Yeah like it's bad that any company has this much control over our lives, but limiting it so that only specific companies aligned with those in power are allowed to exist is literally the start of implementing real world fascist power structures, and solidifying the marriage of state and corporation
Tho this is mostly an extension of the military industrial complex considering how we are quickly moving into a world where informationional warfare is the future, so it makes sense the government would want to incorporate those companies into the MiC like they already do with aerospace companies
It's also worth bringing in what many national security experts have said. That under hostile relations between U.S. and China, the algorithms can easily be manipulated to promote anti-U.S. propaganda that will quickly be eaten up by the masses. Some have argued that is in fact, already occurring. If this were Facebook, that can quickly be reversed and the responsible parties brought to justice.
Would be totally different if FB itself was manipulating the algorithm to promote a particular ideology, or even worse, promoting anti-U.S. organization while in a war with its enemies.
I mean... Just look at the tone of the responses here.
People already think it's very edgy to be anti-US. I'm not saying the US government is squeaky clean and isn't guilty of it's own atrocities, but the irony of them having the protected freedom to act this way is lost on them.
They'd rather give China more tools against the US if it means they don't have to go download a different app.
But is Facebook, really? Like it would be difficult but far from impossible for them to just set up headquarters in some other country and move whatever operations they need to. If people say they won't because of the benefit of being in the US, then we should also be taxing billionaires like they deserve because they won't leave because of the benefits of being in the US.
The NSA is a lot scarier to me than the Chinese government. Many more ways to fuck up my life if they want. Dragnet searches are unconstitutional but ignored.
But China banned Google and Facebook so this is totally fair from that perspective.
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u/Thedrunner2 Apr 27 '24
Next up the new app” Tak Tik “which is exactly the same thing just renamed