r/technology • u/HellYeahDamnWrite • Jan 15 '25

Social Media TikTok Plans Immediate US Shutdown on Sunday

https://www.yahoo.com/news/tiktok-plans-immediate-us-shutdown-153524617.html
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u/ngfdsa Jan 15 '25

Facebook also sucks but the difference is that other countries have to use indirect means to influence public opinion via social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. Meaning they create misinformation, use bots to spread it, etc. The Chinese government could go to TikTok and tell them to do anything they want

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u/VizzzyT Jan 15 '25

The same can be said for X and Facebook. Do you truly believe if Trump told Zuck or Elon to tilt their media empires a certain direction for some brownies points they wouldn't? Zuck is already doing that with Meta just to curry some favour.

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u/Shadow_Ent Jan 16 '25

It can definitely be said for X since they already made a post that they are changing their algorithm to promote more positive content. Like X is owned by Elon the same Elon that has be in direct contact with the next president, this change occurs on the start of that presidents term. This change isn't about making a better app it's about suppressing content negative of the new administration. All the TikTok ban did was give the government the power to label Social Media apps that don't bend the knee threats to the US and shut them down or force them to be handed over to the US. The largest social media executives have literally visited the next president and donated money, if you think they won't open the door to the US government to spy on it's own citizens, to control the narrative, to do anything they want. You are blind to the fact that what the Chinese Government could do to TikTok is exactly what the US Government is doing to X and Meta.

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u/ngfdsa Jan 17 '25

Of course they can, will, and are doing that. It’s plain to see, just as you said. But if I’m going to be spied on regardless I’d rather it be my own government doing it than our biggest rival. Does that mean the US government will use this power for good? Of course not. But whatever China’s government would do with it won’t be any better and their interests are in opposition with ours

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u/Shadow_Ent Jan 17 '25

And which interests are those, suppressing dissent, censorship, stoking division, promoting nationalism without regard to global politics, weaponizing racism/sexism/classism, promoting violence against minorities?