DevAnalyzeOperate t1_jbdxin9 wrote
Reply to comment by zUdio in New Bill Could Ban TikTok, Other Foreign Technology Products in US Over Data Collection Concerns by donnygel
The main reason I wanted to do this was because of Forbes reporting on TikTok spying on journalists. https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilybaker-white/2022/12/22/tiktok-tracks-forbes-journalists-bytedance/?sh=607f09b47da5
I'll also point out that if you're concerned about the free market - why are you more concerned with this potential ban in America than the ongoing ban of YouTube and Twitter and Facebook and Google in China? A free market doesn't exist and there is a one sided trade barrier. Also banning a business that's a competitor to a western business, even doing that explicitly for that reason, particularly when china has already enacted similar trade barriers (thus meaning there would be no breaking of any treaty under international law) can indeed be enforceable and legal. If you ban TikTok from the mainstream it won't have the nessecary content and social network to survive.
In terms of being ethical/moral/reasonable, my concern is actually the impact it would have on younger generations, I don't know why the fuck anybody would be concerned about what Meta thought about the issue. TikTok is a massive part of youth culture. These are all subjective things though. all I can say is objectively keeping China in control of the social media platform most western youth use is objectively a huge intelligence boon as well as an economic and military advantage.
The biggest argument I will give against the sale is that China already moved their datacenters to the US so it might simply be overkill to also force them to say, divest TikTok to a US owned entity in exchange for a payout.
zUdio t1_jbeeq1v wrote
So, because of some nebulous brainwashing argument. Got it. We should literally ban religion then; there are still people who believe they “meet their family” when they die. Like delusional coping mechanisms that cloud their existence. Making people think they have some permanent existence after death causes people to do weird shit that slows society down and makes everyone uncomfortable. Yet we allow people to walk around believing in delusions.
Maybe let’s start with the real brainwashing bullshit first.
DevAnalyzeOperate t1_jbgb3y3 wrote
What are you even talking about? Did you even read the linked story? Do you know ANYTHING about why TikTok is in hot water and the problems people have with it?
My problem in this case is obviously national security in the context of spying, otherwise I wouldn't single out TikTok. I suppose being able to use TikTok as a propaganda machine to brainwash the public is possible too, their data scientists brainwash people into clicking on ads for products and services, it shouldn't be conceptually impossible to brainwash people into for instance clicking on links to Chinese propaganda. Those guys are the real brainwashers of society, not pathetic has-been religions.
zUdio t1_jbgjpro wrote
> their data scientists brainwash people into clicking on ads for products and services
you have no clue how any of this works. I work as a data scientist (with experience in social) and algos work by auto-selecting whatever it is, out of the millions of features you serve it, works to make you click or stay on screen longer. When it notices you spend more time looking at cats, it servers more things related to cats. There is no data scientist “brain washing” people.
DevAnalyzeOperate t1_jbgt236 wrote
You are literally describing how data scientists can systemically modify behaviour while denying that they can lol. Whatever helps you sleep at night.
Nobody would pay data scientists a cent if they couldn't get people to click on the advertising links they wanted them to click on at the end of the day. Their purpose is manipulation on the behest of moneyed interests (and potentially national interests). That's the game - behaviour modification - but I guess it's easier to retain staff when they believe a lie.
zUdio t1_jbi19sh wrote
You should talk to your therapist about possible cluster A issues. Just sayin.
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