Banning TikTok

Vote to ban TikTok going on in the House today.

All I want is the same thing, I've wanted on social platforms, is speech from other countries to be labeled as such. Seems like we're doing another form of banning rock'n'roll records, and later video games in attempt to "protect the children."

Or from another angle, politicans worried about China promoting violence between opposing political parties is not okay, but is okay if done by Americans????

Quote: rxwine

Vote to ban TikTok going on in the House today.

All I want is the same thing, I've wanted on social platforms, is speech from other countries to be labeled as such. Seems like we're doing another form of banning rock'n'roll records, and later video games in attempt to "protect the children."

Or from another angle, politicans worried about China promoting violence between opposing political parties is not okay, but is okay if done by Americans????

I have mixed feelings about this issue.

Two things seem to be involved--the Chinese government may have access to data collected by TikTok. Usually "may" is not enough to ban something, but China is an adversary, not a friend. The other is the part that might be able to be addressed (but will not handle the first issue) which is what you mention...the labelling of content from the origination country. Misinformation is being spread by outside agitators and the policy would have to make sure the label stayed in place somehow if a user in the US or other country rebranded the information.

The President has said that TikTok is an issue. His campaign uses TikTok. His predecessor has said that TikTok is an issue. He wants it to stay to counter some of the policies that Facebook has been known to use against certain people.

Lots of people in the US use TikTok to make money. How will that impact them? A lot of them are ambivalent about security concerns.

The Chinese company that owns it seems like it does not want to divest it. Is that a profit or spying motive?

Quote: rxwine

Vote to ban TikTok going on in the House today.

All I want is the same thing, I've wanted on social platforms, is speech from other countries to be labeled as such. Seems like we're doing another form of banning rock'n'roll records, and later video games in attempt to "protect the children."

Or from another angle, politicans worried about China promoting violence between opposing political parties is not okay, but is okay if done by Americans????

Would you feel the same way if Russia owned TikTok? How about N. Korea or Iran?

I don't know anyone that uses TikTok so I could care less if their info gets sold. Now if they were stealing info from all my MySpace friends it would be different.

Quote: kenarman

Would you feel the same way if Russia owned TikTok? How about N. Korea or Iran?

Or Japan, or Israel, or the Uk, or Ukraine.

Sure. Why not? I want people to know where information is coming from once it's coming from outside the country, rather than limiting it.

Our friends are trying to influence our politics also. That doesn't mean it is in more our interest than theirs. It is likely more in their interest. We should know who it is.

Quote: kenarman

Would you feel the same way if Russia owned TikTok? How about N. Korea or Iran?

Focusing on TikTok is focusing on the finger pointing to the Moon and not the Moon itself. TikTok's privacy protections may be inadequate, but so isn't every other website or social media company or any other company that collects user data. Banning TikTok will do nothing to protect user privacy.

If Congress wants to protect privacy, then it should pass a comprehensive privacy law.

TikTok should be banned. Owned by a terrible country, and horrible video format. I have only watched Tiktoks on the phones of friends, and it just seems terrible. And worse of all, it is spreading into other platforms like Youtube shorts and nonsense. Ban it.

Quote: GenoDRPh

Focusing on TikTok is focusing on the finger pointing to the Moon and not the Moon itself. TikTok's privacy protections may be inadequate, but so isn't every other website or social media company or any other company that collects user data. Banning TikTok will do nothing to protect user privacy.

If Congress wants to protect privacy, then it should pass a comprehensive privacy law.

As usual you are totally missing the point. Your privacy is not the issue. The problem with TikTok is that it is controlled by a government that the US will likely be at war with in the next 5 years. The huge pool of data and users can be used to manipulate people and their views to benefit China.

Banning is not the answer, even for abortion.

The decision has to be freely available.

In this case, it's related to freedom of speech.

Once freedom of speech is gone, might as well remove the Constitution.