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Supercyborgninja

macrumors regular
Jul 22, 2022
193
387
I'm laughing because the allegation that the US is in any way worse than China when it comes to human rights is so absurd and risible that it's all I can do. Please do some research into what the Chinese have done to Vietnam. Also what they're currently doing to the Uyghurs. Also what happened in Tiananmen Square (though not on TikTok, of course, where such topics are aggressively suppressed).
Cannot imagine being this confidently & factually wrong.

I'm well aware of the Uyghurs, it's an absolutely awful situation that is not talked about even halfway to enough.

You like embarrassing yourself I take it? TikTok has many videos on Tiananmen Square lol.
 

Mousse

macrumors 68040
Apr 7, 2008
3,549
6,828
Flea Bottom, King's Landing
Yes, but not any social media apps. Facebook, Twitter, Truthsocial, Instgram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, Quora, and TikTok itself are banned in China.
Those should be banned in the US as well
I have a radical idea. The US government could EDUCATE its citizens (don’t laugh) by releasing evidence to support the idea that TikTok/China are spying (I know there’s evidence out there, but let’s hear it from the bully pulpit). Then RECOMMEND that the citizenry uninstall the app. Done. Give us the information and the choice to make our own decisions.
The flaw in this brilliant idea is thinking that the US government wants an educated populous. Panem et circenses.
 

CarAnalogy

macrumors 601
Jun 9, 2021
4,511
8,277
ByteDance can self-fornicate. We are under no obligation to allow a company which is controlled by a hostile foreign government to continue to operate in the US. If they won't sell, then shut down their access to the US by whatever means necessary.

But see this is the problem with fighting authoritarians. One particularly infamous one is claimed to have pointed out the irony. Either they win, or we become them to fight them and in that way, they still win.

China can just declare things illegal and require licenses for arbitrary reasons and shut down foreign access to China "by whatever means necessary."

But is this the kind of thing we want our government to do? Even for something as bad as ByteDance? The Constitution cuts both ways. They are probably right that it's "obviously unconstitutional."

This whole thing reeks of political and commercial manipulation far more than it does anything about the good of the people.

Personally I agree with your sentiment, but we have to be very, very careful about the legal precedents set here.
 
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Chuckeee

macrumors 68020
Aug 18, 2023
2,173
6,088
Southern California
Banning is an extreme measure that doesn’t need to be taken. Instead there should be regulations that apply to how ALL apps use personal data. If these companies choose to make their apps conform to the regulations they can stay in business. Targeting specific companies accomplishes nothing.
Exactly, even if TikTok is banned and if TikTok is the insidious spying platform for China, that is alleged. China can still get all the same data just by buying it from Meta
 
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goobot

macrumors 604
Jun 26, 2009
6,549
4,578
long island NY
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PowerButton

macrumors regular
Jun 20, 2022
213
295
Exactly, even if TikTok is banned and if TikTok is the insidious spying platform for China, that is alleged. China can still get all the same data just by buying it from Meta
Well it’s not all about private data, it’s also about propaganda and controlling the narrative.
Let’s face it, a lot of this current generation are pretty stupid. They’ll believe almost anything that’s thrown at them from social media via groupthink/herd mentality. Controlling what they see and hear can be a powerful social influence.
 

Supermallet

macrumors 68000
Sep 19, 2014
1,962
2,139
This has been a thing since 2020 bro don’t try and deflect
Yeah it’s been a thing since 2020 and all of a sudden it’s top priority and gets pushed through. Gee I wonder why. 🤔

Also Romney literally said the pro-Palestine sentiment is why they’re banning it. How obtuse can people be about this?
 
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steve333

macrumors 65816
Dec 12, 2008
1,319
922
Laughable
China doesn't allow multiple social apps in China or if it does censors them.
TikTok should be banned right now, not in a year.
China spreading misinformation and an alternative view of history for the Hamas supporting brain dead students in the U.S., as well as being the platform for forming protests
 

subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
5,851
6,258
Thank you for proving my point, your line of reasoning can be used to defend any action the US takes, no matter how outrageous. After all, who gets to decide what response is proportional? We have people in this very thread showing their whole ass and saying that slaughtering over 34,000 humans, most of them women and children, is a proportional and justified response to an act of violence that killed 1200 people. We had the Bush admin justify the complete overthrow of another sovereign nation because of 9/11. I don’t trust the government, any government, to determine appropriate and proportional responses.
US can take any action no matter how outrageous? I didn’t prove that insane assertion at all, I said the exact opposite. I specifically said the protective measure has to match the risk level. You’re making a new point, that the US government gets to decide. Setting aside for a second that this is a problem that goes back to the beginning of time—who gets to decide anything on behalf of a group of people—what exactly are you proposing? Dismantle governments? If so, this discussion is about a lot more than banning an app, and this is probably not the appropriate forum for it.
 

Supermallet

macrumors 68000
Sep 19, 2014
1,962
2,139
US can take any action no matter how outrageous? I didn’t prove that insane assertion at all, I said the exact opposite. I specifically said the protective measure has to match the risk level. You’re making a new point, that the US government gets to decide. Setting aside for a second that this is a problem that goes back to the beginning of time—who gets to decide anything on behalf of a group of people—what exactly are you proposing? Dismantle governments? If so, this discussion is about a lot more than banning an app, and this is probably not the appropriate forum for it.
Why yes I am in fact in favor of disbanding governments and stuff like this is a good example of why. State monopolies on violence is never, ever a good thing.
 

Supermallet

macrumors 68000
Sep 19, 2014
1,962
2,139
Laughable
China doesn't allow multiple social apps in China or if it does censors them.
TikTok should be banned right now, not in a year.
China spreading misinformation and an alternative view of history for the Hamas supporting brain dead students in the U.S., as well as being the platform for forming protests
Oh no, alternative views! Ban it, burn it with fire! :rolleyes:
 

subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
5,851
6,258
Banning is an extreme measure that doesn’t need to be taken. Instead there should be regulations that apply to how ALL apps use personal data. If these companies choose to make their apps conform to the regulations they can stay in business. Targeting specific companies accomplishes nothing.
The problem with that is if the company is beholden to a foreign authoritarian adversary state, US regulations don’t mean much to it. If the foreign state chooses, it can force the company to get around regulations if there‘s any possible way. And there’s always a way.
 

Surf Monkey

Suspended
Oct 3, 2010
6,249
5,379
Portland, OR
The problem with that is if the company is beholden to a foreign authoritarian adversary state, US regulations don’t mean much to it. If the foreign state chooses, it can force the company to get around regulations if there‘s any possible way. And there’s always a way.

We abide by the laws we pass. That’s the unique idea that the United States was founded on. We don’t have individuals make critical decisions on the fly. We deliberate. We evaluate. And most of all we follow the rule of law. Are others going to take advantage of that? Sure. But that isn’t a reason to give up or to abandon our national principles.
 
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subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
5,851
6,258
We abide by the laws we pass. That’s the unique idea that the United States was founded on. We don’t have individuals make critical decisions on the fly. We deliberate. We evaluate. And most of all we follow the rule of law. Are others going to take advantage of that? Sure. But that isn’t a reason to give up or to abandon our national principles.
What principle is being abandoned? This isn’t a discussion about something like the use of torture. Selling a particular product is not a basic human right. Many products are illegal to sell because of the risk they pose, or even just because of sanctions.
 

Surf Monkey

Suspended
Oct 3, 2010
6,249
5,379
Portland, OR
What principle is being abandoned? This isn’t a discussion about something like the use of torture. Selling a particular product is not a basic human right. Many products are illegal to sell because of the risk they pose, or even just because of sanctions.

People are calling for TikTok to be instantly banned. As if one person can just do that in America. It doesn’t work like that here. It has to be passed through congress, signed by the executive and then enforced.

And again, the issue isn’t TikTok. The issue is a complete lack of regulation around apps. That’s what allows companies like BiteDance and Meta to do this stuff in the first place.
 
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subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
5,851
6,258
People are calling for TikTok to be instantly banned. As if one person can just do that in America. It doesn’t work like that here. It has to be passed through congress, signed by the executive and then enforced.

And again, the issue isn’t TikTok. The issue is a complete lack of regulation around apps. That’s what allows companies like BiteDance and Meta to do this stuff in the first place.
That’s not what I understand is happening, but I agree it needs to go through proper channels.

I agree there needs to be better regulation with apps especially social media, but again, I believe the specific situation with TikTok is regardless of regulation for aforementioned reasons.
 
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