Mastodawn

This is not a win for privacy, this is a massive loss for all Americans as the country descends into the internet censorship that has plagued so many of the other unfree countries around the world.

It isn't the time to act smug or superior just because that censorship happened to target an app you disliked today. They will have no problems coming for the services you do like tomorrow.

#tiktok #privacy #censorship

Jonah Aragon Jan 19

Some resources and guides on censorship & privacy: https://www.privacyguides.org/en/basics/common-threats/#avoiding-censorship

#censorship #privacy #privacyguides

Common Threats - Privacy Guides

Your threat model is personal to you, but these are some of the things many visitors to this site care about.

Justin ⏚Jan 19

@jonah I don't disagree with your overall point but Tiktok the company is quite literally actively harming people (mostly young folks) wherever they can. Like don't get me wrong, the reasoning is idiotic but let's not pretend the app was some bastion for user privacy, safety or honest business practices.

The fact that these issues are not unique to Tiktok does not change the facts about it.

Chris Bandy Jan 19

William Wolf Moondel, Esq.Jan 19

@cbandy @JustinH I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOUR OVERALL POINT BUT TIKTOK THE COMPANY IS QUITE LITERALLY ACTIVELY HARMING PEOPLE (MOSTLY YOUNG FOLKS) WHEREVER THEY CAN. LIKE DON'T GET ME WRONG, THE REASONING IS IDIOTIC BUT LET'S NOT PRETEND THE APP WAS SOME BASTION FOR USER PRIVACY, SAFETY OR HONEST BUSINESS PRACTICES.

@MisterMoo @cbandy @JustinH
So, instead of a thoughtful policy to address a single one of those issues, we have a requirement that the Chinese company be bought by an American controlled entity so those bad things can only benefit "good" people?
And you want me to feel good about what? That they have a process for shutting things down that relies on nothing more than naked xenophobia?

@JustinH @jonah I do disagree with overall point, because it’s ignorant. A cry against censorship of a platform that has no issues censoring its users is damn ironic. No centralized platform warrants such worship.

There are systemic issues unearthed by this ban, but it’s hardly an attack on freedoms, that attack is nearly concluded elsewhere.

Ability to host and share without having corpos sue you to nine hells on a whim is where freedoms… would be.

Winfried 🏳️‍🌈Jan 19

@slotos
@JustinH @jonah
The same arguments held against #tiktok, also apply to #meta, #twitter and #google, only with 'China' replaced for 'US'. The question is not how to interpret the ban on tiktok, but how to interpret not banning #meta, #twitter and #google...

cuan_knaggs Jan 19

@JustinH @jonah and how are those issue unique to tiktoc? and that's also not the point of this. this is censorship for political/economic reasons, not for public safety

Justin ⏚Jan 19

@mensrea @jonah Did not mean to imply that those issues are unique to TikTok! Like I said I do think the justification behind it is stupid and dangerous, but I'm also happy it's gone.

@jonah @JustinH Don’t think anybody is arguing that that wouldn’t be the case. I fail to see how TikTok is any different of how e.g. Instagram is operating. If they would actually care privacy they would regulate the market. But i don’t think they do, they just want to take control over that bastion.

Cey (OLD ACC)Jan 19

@jonah PREACH!!! "First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out.
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out.
Next they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out.
AND THEN THEY CAME FOR ME"
if you don't fight now, you've already lost the fight.
I dont like tiktok, and I think it has been harmful in many ways, but this isn't the answer.
fight back early, if you dont they WILL come for your favorites too. its just a matter of time.

@jonah Absolutely! It's so frustrating that others are acting like it's only going to be unique to TikTok specifically.

Otakar Nieder Jan 19

@jonah Disclaimer, I am not a citizen of USA and I do not use TikTok.
I am trying to find the reasons for why TikTok closed its services and it seems to be because 1) there is a concern about data of Americans leaking to China and 2) there could be a threat of the service being used to manipulate the public opinions. I kind of understand the concerns, especially with the recent TikTok related problems with Romanian elections. Banning is a bad solution, so what would be the right solution here?

> They will have no problems coming for the services you do like tomorrow.

Totally agree with this part, as a man living in Russia. Here, that started with outcries "dO yOu ThINk aBoUT tHe ChiLdRen in the Internet, we must protect them from porn!!!1" — now ends like this:

Saucetweet Jan 19

@jonah
This "TikTok ban" is about so much more than TikTok.
This law is designed to give the President power to force a social media company to either sell themselves to a company that's approved by the government, or be banned, if he considers it to be "controlled by a foreign adversary."
Here is the law's definition of "controlled by a foreign adversary."
Look at the highlighted one.
It's basically what they've been calling Elon Musk for the past 4 years: "directed by Putin."
It's what they're going to start calling Mark Zuckerberg if he doesn't fall back into line.
They will use this against any platform or website that disobeys them, and all they have to do is say it's under "control" of a foreign adversary.
If this law is allowed to stand, it has the potential to be more destructive to freedom of speech than every other law that has come before it.

Goldmaster Jan 19

@jonah If one supports banning #tiktok in the UK due to "privacy" and "security" then you support banning #facebook

@jonah Totally agree. That comming from the "free country" where you cannot use an app bc it was from China. I do agree that TikTok may be a problem for security but thats not a reason to just legally ban the app in a truly free country...