• tyler@programming.dev
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    145
    arrow-down
    19
    ·
    7 months ago

    Man people really set up the strawmen here. Congress has literally said it’s about foreign influence, not about protecting children. It has absolutely nothing to do with kids. It has to do with China influencing the citizens of the United States to do things that are beneficial to China, against the interests of the US government.

    It’s not a ban, if China gives up control of the app to a United States entity then there’s no problem. It has absolutely nothing to do with protecting children.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      arrow-down
      44
      ·
      7 months ago

      Congress has literally said it’s about foreign influence

      Which is also a lie. The likes of Twitter, Facebook and Google are just as beholden to foreign governments such as the fascist regimes of India, Israel, Myanmar and others. They pay the people in Congress a lot more in legal bribes, though, so they can basically get away with anything.

      It’s not a ban, if China gives up control of the app to a United States entity then there’s no problem.

      Imagine the uproar if China demanded that Google stopped being a US military contractor…

      What the whole thing is about is empty symbolic rhetoric and xenophobia in an election year and oppressive measures to go with it.

      • BirdyBoogleBop@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        44
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        7 months ago

        Google was blocked in China in 2014 for refusing to censor search results. Now search results are censored and must go through their Hong Kong subsiduary. The last part is what the US Government is asking for TikTok to do right?

        China already bans and censors loads of apps and websites already so I don’t think looking at what they do in this instance is a good idea.

        • Gabu@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          15
          ·
          7 months ago

          So it’s okay for me to rob you because someone else was robbed by a thief?

          • BirdyBoogleBop@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            13
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            7 months ago

            Okay. Which part of what I written makes you think that? I thought my second paragraph was enough to say China doing things is not a reason to do things.

        • makeasnek@lemmy.mlOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          14
          arrow-down
          22
          ·
          edit-2
          7 months ago

          China did that. We criticized them for it. Now we’re turning around and doing it. “We should get to do it because insert dictator here does it” isn’t a great argument.

    • makeasnek@lemmy.mlOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      arrow-down
      39
      ·
      edit-2
      7 months ago

      Who are they worried China is going to influence? Children, right? If it’s adults, that’s almost more insulting, they think we don’t deserve to be able to see all sides of an argument and are too stupid to discern fact from fiction. We may as well dispense with free expression entirely at that point because the government can just say “you’re too stupid to read this and we’re worried you’ll be influenced, so you can only read the books we’ve pre-approved for you”

      It is every American’s right to think freely, to speak those thoughts to others, and to have others have the opportunity to hear those thoughts whether or not they are “good influences” according to govt. It is wild how easily people are willing to throw that right away for fears of “foreign influence”. What’s next, banning TV shows from foreign countries because they might “corrupt our culture”? Banning books with subversive topics because they will “give people bad ideas”?. This is how the road to fascism begins.

      • Reucnalts@feddit.de
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        7 months ago

        You are asking if banning books is the next thing. Isnt it already happening in the schools in some parts of USA?

        • makeasnek@lemmy.mlOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          13
          ·
          edit-2
          7 months ago

          Yep. Unfortunately both the left and right in the US seem to have free speech in their crosshairs one way or another. The right with “don’t say gay”, their book bans, and war on drag, the left with the TikTok ban, wanting the government to be able to define and regulate “misinformation” on social media, etc. The long-term protectors of free speech like the ACLU have even done a pivot away from free speech cases because they perceive them as unpopular.

    • turkishdelight@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      50
      ·
      7 months ago

      Americans are so racist that they can’t accept the fact that non-American companies can be successful.

          • Ryan@programming.dev
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            18
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            7 months ago

            Its worth adding, TikTok in China (it’s called something else, I’m blanking) is entirely controlled on the state and there is absolutely no way that it would be permitted to host any political discussion or advocate mass action not approved by the state. Their “Hey call your congressman” stunt was the most idiotic PR move ever, because they demonstrated that this company is willing and able to leverage the userbase in the US in ways that would never be permitted in “West Taiwan”.

        • Drinvictus@discuss.tchncs.de
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          7 months ago

          So we’re no different? Is that your argument? If so we’re saying the same thing. This paves the way for more bans in the future.

          • RaoulDook@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            9
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            7 months ago

            Damn straight they should. No foreign entity should own any American land. Same goes for Canada too, with the obvious problem being their housing crisis caused by foreign real estate investment.

  • Lowlee Kun@feddit.de
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    55
    arrow-down
    7
    ·
    7 months ago

    “What about the people on epsteins list” is gotta be the most generic strawman.

  • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    61
    arrow-down
    25
    ·
    7 months ago

    The way .ml cries everyday about TikTok being banned you’d think it was an actual real life crises for all of you.

    Multiple counties have already banned the app (as well as other ccp government apps) years before the US started trying to. Where was all the out cry then?

    • Omniraptor@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      25
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      7 months ago

      can’t find any western countries that have it banned for the general public

      • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        7 months ago

        Yeah that’s true, while it’s being debated in a lot of places the only current bans I can find any news on are for government officials and employees. Now that I think about it, doesn’t that make Biden’s TikTok illegal?

      • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        13
        ·
        7 months ago

        Afghanistan.
        Australia.
        Belgium.
        Canada.
        Denmark.
        European Union.
        France.
        India.
        Lativa.
        Netherlands.
        New Zealand.
        Norway.
        Pakistan.
        Taiwan.
        United Kingdom.

        All have banned the app either from government employees to a nationwide ban.

        • makeasnek@lemmy.mlOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          18
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          7 months ago

          “You can’t use this at work” and “You can’t use this ever” are very different things.

          • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            7
            arrow-down
            9
            ·
            edit-2
            7 months ago

            That’s correct. Not every country on that list limits the ban to just govt employees.

            How many apps has China flat out banned? Movies? The actual Internet?

            • Gabu@lemmy.ml
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              arrow-down
              5
              ·
              7 months ago

              How many apps has China flat out banned? Movies? The actual Internet?

              So what you’re saying is that 'murica is just as bad as China

              • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                4
                arrow-down
                3
                ·
                7 months ago

                Hardly. Banning one app for security is nowhere near as bad as blocking most of the entire world because you don’t want your citizens to see it.

                • Gabu@lemmy.ml
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  arrow-down
                  3
                  ·
                  7 months ago

                  Are you even remotely aware of the level of spying going on in 'murica, by 'murica?

        • Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          13
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          7 months ago

          This is a bit dishonest. Only Afghanistan and India have banned TikTok from citizens and neither of them are western countires. In every other country you listed it’s just about government devices.

        • Jako301@feddit.de
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          7 months ago

          Most governments even semi big companies don’t allow whatsapp or other meta products on their hardware, is that precedent enough to ban meta too? Very few apps comply with the GDPR requirements needed on company/government hardware.

          Look, I despise Tiktok too, but most arguments on here are just “muh China bad” or “look at these other people doing something”

    • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      7 months ago

      TBH the comments are always filled with “Fuck TikTok” so it doesn’t feel like an organic trend of posts to me.

        • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          7 months ago

          Yes but Lemmy isn’t as bad as Hexbear, a very large number of us still think the CCP is even worse.

        • Gabu@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          7 months ago

          In .ml, yes. You know, the instance I’m currently posting from. Also, only a complete blind idiot wouldn’t see that the US is a shithole.

            • Gabu@lemmy.ml
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              7 months ago

              'murican can’t comprehend the existence of places outside 'murica. More non-news at 11.

                • Gabu@lemmy.ml
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  6 months ago

                  I finished my free higher education a while ago :)
                  It was at a time when I really didn’t need to make too many free healthcare visits.

  • BluJay320@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    24
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    7 months ago

    Fuck TikTok, but I’m sick of hearing “BUT THE KIDS!!!” As an excuse for constantly trampling everyone’s freedoms

    • Ziixe@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      6 months ago

      The fact that we have to baby proof the internet because someone is too lazy to do basic parenting is crazy

  • antidote101@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    27
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    7 months ago

    Because it’s not a list of rapists, just a list of people Epstein was interested in having influential control over.

    …and even going to the Island just meant he was trying to influence you. He was looking for whatever leverage he could find over people.

  • solarvector@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    26
    arrow-down
    12
    ·
    7 months ago

    How is this itself not a fake argument?

    The arguments in support of tick-tock are a bizarre amalgamation of just about every category of bad faith argument. I haven’t seen one that suggests tick-tock it’s actually a net benefit.

    • redempt@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      24
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      7 months ago

      it’s not that tiktok is good, it’s that banning it sets a bad precedent and will be used to justify further control and censorship of the internet

      • solarvector@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        7 months ago

        That’s a much better argument than what’s presented in this meme. There’s at least an argument to claim that the difference is about curtailing foreign interest through ownership. Ownership does heavily influence a platform. Unfortunately that hasn’t prevented Murdock from owning more formal messaging platforms.

        On a side note, how do you feel about a handful of corporations controlling and censoring the Internet?

      • zovits@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        7 months ago

        I’m all for setting a precedent if it’s about banning chinese spyware and propaganda weapons.

        • Jako301@feddit.de
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          7 months ago

          They don’t want to ban it, they want to seize controll of it and let it operate as is, just with different propaganda now.

  • Agrivar@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    21
    arrow-down
    13
    ·
    7 months ago

    I may have missed something in civics class, but since when is access to a crappy social media site a right?

    • makeasnek@lemmy.mlOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      23
      arrow-down
      17
      ·
      edit-2
      7 months ago

      Since when is reading newspapers your government doesn’t agree with a right? Since when is communicating with people your government doesn’t like a right? Since when is publishing whatever you want a right? Since approximately 1776. It’s such an important right that it’s literally the first one in the constitution. Because our ability to speak freely and criticize the government is one of the rights that underpins all others. The medium shouldn’t matter, speech is speech whether it’s an app, website, chat server, newspaper, bulletin board, code, painting, drawing, whatever. If the government can just shut down any medium or venue they don’t like because “it’s propaganda”, that basically closes the door to any open criticism of the government.

      We’ve tried not having those rights for the sake of convenience, expediency, or social pleasantness. Tends to not end well. Ask people in Russia or Iran how that “government gets to dictate where and how you speak” thing is going for them. Insane bootlicking going on in this thread.

  • MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    7 months ago

    The “for the children” arguments are almost always misleading.

    Don’t get me wrong, there’s stuff that’s genuinely “for the children”, but the vast majority of the time they’re doing something for the children it’s not.

    Bluntly, the core of the argument for a lot of the online stuff for the children is reported as protecting them against would be child molestation or dangers of some similar variety. In tiktok’s case, here’s a platform that has huge potential for revenue due to its popularity, and has an established user base. I’m certain that many of the so-called upper class/elites/capitalist pigs/owners of the country, are salivating at the prospect of getting a piece of that. It was said, in the open discussion for the bill to ban tiktok, that they want to “make” tiktok “better”. Not better for the people using it, better for the people who could profit from it. Several of these shit heads have already, formally and publicly stated that they have an interest in acquiring the platform, because the bill says: tiktok will be banned unless it sells to an American owner. So the only way for tiktok to operate in America after the bill is passed, is for them to buy it.

    The legislation isn’t for the children. The legislation is the people who actually hold power, making the government do a thing so they can reap the rewards.

    They want to profit off of the children. Because mind raping them at a young age into a life of consumerism and spending, while earning money for that privilege, is a capitalists wet dream.

    • Gabu@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      A honeypot trap that’s never used as a trap is just free honey.

      • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        7 months ago

        Of course the island was a honeypot trap. How else did Epstein create all his compact discs with handwritten labels including: “‘Young [Name] + [Name],’

    • Jako301@feddit.de
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      7 months ago

      Your phone is 100% CIA spyware either way.

      Besides, I’d much rather have the CCP collect my data than the US, simply cause the CCP doesn’t care about you if you don’t go to China, but the US could hand over stuff to your government.

        • Jako301@feddit.de
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          6 months ago

          How did you suddenly go from spyware to propaganda and are even accusing me of beeing fooled by them? I don’t even have Tiktok on my phone, I just fiddled with the algorithm in a containerised emulator.

          All I said is that I’d rather have China have my data than the US cause China is a much smaller potential threat to anyone outside their country.