this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2025
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[–] drjkl@programming.dev 97 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Bad title. Biden won't enforce it because “Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday”. Trump takes office literally the next day, so he's going to have to enforce it (or not).

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Nah, midnight orders are a thing. But the event isn't on the 20th, it's on the 19th. The administration could absolutely shut it down.

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 35 points 1 week ago (4 children)

But Trump will in 3 days, and then his buddy Musk can buy it up.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And better yet China will turn around and weaponize this against us. Forcing companies manufacturing over there to sell off their interest in the manufacturing plants Etc. This s*** can go both ways and everyone's about to learn the hard way.

China doesn't care. They have a good life over there. Don't want to rattle the oligarchy we have here.

[–] GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 week ago

Buying assumes a willing seller, and I don't think ByteDance are willing.

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Musk will no doubt try to buy it with stock that devalues like 1923 Papiermarks.

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[–] Letme@lemmy.world 33 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Here is a list of the other 34 countries that have banned it and their reasons why: https://time.com/6971009/tiktok-banned-restrictions-worldwide-countries-united-states-law/

Most countries concerned about disinformation campaigns influencing politics, or brainwashing children (probably some adults too)

[–] cybersandwich@lemmy.world 33 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It’s literally all bans on government devices. Which is totally reasonable. Ban it from govt devices.

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's not fair. It's totally banned in at least Afghanistan, Iran, and North Korea.

[–] mlg@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

India too iirc

[–] cmbabul@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (4 children)

This has been my take ever since this conversation started, I’m not on TikTok because I generally dislike social media and would become dangerously addicted to its format. But as far as propaganda, disinformation, and China snooping on users without access to state secrets it’s no worse than facebook or Twitter or any other social media app.

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[–] j4yt33@feddit.org 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Which is ironic given that Facebook and YouTube are probably not banned. I would think that those have played a far far bigger role in the rise of the right, vaccination scepticism and general conspiracy theories

[–] john89@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Their owned by Westerners so it's okay.

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[–] Simulation6@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Looks like much of the northern hemisphere does not trust TickTok.

[–] john89@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Propaganda in action.

There's a trade war between the US and China, so useful idiots are proud to do the dirty work for their rulers.

Whenever I see someone spreading FUD about tiktok or huawei, I would question them only to be met with "it's so obvious, I'm not going to tell you the details" or linking to a blog that doesn't contain any evidence. This happened, without fail, every time.

It really cemented in my mind that most people are just sheep being herded by those smarter and richer than them.

Stupidity is in vogue. It's cool to be a useful idiot.

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[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Ah, yes. Rule 34 of the TikTok ban.

⁽ᵈᵒⁿᵗ ᵍᵒᵒᵍˡᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ⁾

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[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 31 points 1 week ago

Won't enforce it when, today and tomorrow?

[–] residentmarchant@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago (11 children)

I understand the "but I like TikTok" crowd, but China bans US companies from operating in China all the time. Why is it all of a sudden a problem when we do it to them?

[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (7 children)

Facebook had less than a million users in China before it was banned in 2009. It was struggling against domestic platforms like Webo.

TikTok has 150 million active monthly users and is one of the largest social media apps in the US.

[–] clutchtwopointzero@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

Number of users is not a valid argument on this type of debate

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[–] Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 week ago

I think tiktok should probably be banned, but I think that "it's ok because the chinese government does it" is a pretty flimsy argument.

[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It makes a lot of sense from the perspective of the US, but a lot of countries will likely have the same debate about not only TikTok, but american social media sites and their influence on their democracies now. Especially giving the timing. Not only is Xitter known to shrug off EU regulations in actively pushing disinformation campaigns but apparently Facebook and Google are joining in too now. All the while there’s a war happening in Europe right now. The EU could make the wise decision to make the same demands to those companies that the US made towards TikTok. For our own safety.

[–] Petter1@lemm.ee 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I would appreciate that, as person living in EU

[–] gaael@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago
[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The EU could make the wise decision to make the same demands to those companies that the US made towards TikTok. For our own safety.

I mean, they absolutely should.

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[–] cashsky@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So is the argument now we should act like China? Thought this was America, land of freedom of speech or whatever.

[–] Kolrami@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

So is the argument now we should act like China?

Unironically, I think most people who are going to Red Note might think so.

[–] slaacaa@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Russia and China are waging a war against the west, and we are standing with our pants down, pretending that everything is fine.

TikTok is a drop in the bucket, but we need to stand up and fight back against those who consider us their enemy.

No need to start shooting, but we should at least give Chinese corporations the same obstacles that they give US&EU ones if they want to do business in China:

[–] john89@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Trade war*

Tiktok got banned because useful idiots perpetuated FUD that only exists to make rich Americans richer. Let me say this again for those in the back: Tiktok was only banned because the American ruling class wanted the whole pie. If you ever said or believed "national security" or "privacy" concerns without evidence, I'm sorry. You fell for propaganda.

Anyone who doesn't understand this shouldn't be taken seriously.

"It's easier to fool a man than to convince him he'd been fooled." - Mark Twain

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[–] thirteene@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] Drusas@fedia.io 23 points 1 week ago

He's got two days left in office, of course he won't. He's got more important shit to focus his attention on.

[–] WatDabney@fedia.io 18 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Whether or not this particular ban is enforced is irrelevant. The point was simply to establish the precedent that the government can restrict citizens' access to social media.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The thing people aren't getting about this law is it's extremely broad, with no due process. The definition they use for organizations that are subject to this law could literally include the New York Times. And designating an organization as controlled by a foreign adversary is a declaration by the Secretary of Commerce.

There's no court, no hearing, no public notice, no juries, and only one judge (the secretary).

The point of taking down TikTok is twofold. One, they have a Boogeyman they can use to push it through. Two, if they can shut down an app with 170 million users then they can shut down anyone. That's half the country that uses TikTok. If they can do that without protests then they can shut down anyone.

[–] WatDabney@fedia.io 7 points 1 week ago

The point of taking down TikTok is twofold. One, they have a Boogeyman they can use to push it through. Two, if they can shut down an app with 170 million users then they can shut down anyone.

Exactly.

They needed a pretense for taking down a social media site in spite of the fact that it's not violating any existing laws and in spite of widespread opposition to the takedown,and TikTok served both of those purposes.

And now, armed with Supreme Court approval, they can set about barring access to pretty much any site they want, for whatever reason they want, regardless of public opinion.

[–] Letme@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yes, yes it can. Ask pornhub

[–] WatDabney@fedia.io 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Pornhub is different though, because they could base it in existing laws barring minors from accessing pornography. It didn't really establish any new precedents, but instead simply expanded enforcement of existing statutes to the internet.

That's not to say it was a good thing - it just doesn't pose the same sort of existential threat that this poses.

The difference here is that there are no existing laws that pertain to TikTok, so it's not justvthe application of existing law to the internet. This is an entirely new power - the authority to simply pass a law decreeing that a particular site is to be banned in the US, entirely regardless of the legal standing of the site or its content, but solely because those with the authority to do so have decided that that's what they want to do

[–] droporain@lemmynsfw.com 5 points 1 week ago

Pornhub isn't different. You as an adult and parent should monitor your fucking child, not let the government do it for you because you are a lazy selfish cunt raising a special snowflake piece of shit human who won't be able to think or do anything themselves when they grow up.

[–] Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I mean they're also banning chinese networking hardware, chinese phone manufacturers, chinese software in cars, considering banning chinese drones, potentially banning tencent games, etc etc

I'm feeling pretty confident that the goal here is banning chinese spying considering all the other bans.

[–] WatDabney@fedia.io 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

No government ever oppresses its citizenry by announcing that they're setting out to oppress the citizenry.

They always, without exception, do it by first targeting someone the bulk of the populace thinks deserves it, and then only later incrementally expanding their reach.

[–] Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That's true, and that's why so many internet censorship it spying bills are officially to counter pedophiles.

Banning tiktok is clearly controversial though, and I honestly don't think it's trying to soften people up to the government banning social media.

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[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Its being banned because of Zionist lobbying to censor pro Palestinian content. The China spying story is a cover.

US Social media platforms like Meta have been aggressively censoring Palestinian content.

https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/12/21/metas-broken-promises/systemic-censorship-palestine-content-instagram-and

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/meta-censorship-devastating-palestinian-news-sources

Jonathan Greenblatt. ADL director gave it away last year in a leaked recording when he said "we have a TikTok problem".

https://youtube.com/shorts/0f4cbLic3aA?si=uvk6cBVqPksRScBU

[–] Petter1@lemm.ee 3 points 1 week ago

They ban it to protect their companies, china would sell too cheap until all American competitors die out.

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[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I wouldn't enforce it on my last day for $100,000,000.00 dollars!

But just go here and sign up to loops anyway and help pass the word! https://loops.video/

[–] JigglySackles@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I've tried 3 separate times to sign up for loops. The latest was actually last night. Shit fails every time.

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