this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2025
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Summary

TikTok faces a U.S. shutdown by Jan. 19 unless the Supreme Court delays or blocks a law requiring its Chinese parent, ByteDance, to divest.

The Biden administration defends the law as a national security measure, citing potential risks of Chinese government influence. Content creators argue it violates free speech.

Donald Trump, once a supporter of the ban, seeks a delay to reach a "political resolution."

A shutdown could cost TikTok millions of users and revenue. The court’s decision, due soon, could reshape U.S. digital speech policy.

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[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 89 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

Stricter laws restricting data collection would actually solve the problem but that will hurt the American propaganda machine just as much. China will diffuse it's propaganda through our own social media like they clearly already do. They can literally buy the data from our own data brokers, it won't even stop them from being effective.

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 31 points 2 years ago (2 children)

It's not simply about collecting data. That's only part of the problem.

Why do people keep repeating this like it's the only thing.

Tiktok controls the algorithm controlling which clips get shown. Combined with the data, this means they can propaganda individuals so hard it will make your head spin.

[–] Ok_imagination@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Yeah! Only Facebook can propagandize my sweet ass!

[–] grue@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago (2 children)

This is not an argument against banning TikTok. This is an argument for banning Facebook (and all other centralized social media) right along with it.

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 years ago

No shit. Who cares about TikTok?

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[–] kava@lemmy.world 14 points 2 years ago (7 children)

this means they can propaganda individuals so hard it will make your head spin.

Until you have an open source algorithm then any organization controlling a social media site can push propaganda. Just like they do here in the US.

The reason that Tiktok is being banned has nothing to do with data. We know this because you can just buy data about Americans legally from data brokers. This isn't about Chinese propaganda either. The real reason is that Tiktok is not easily put on a leash by the federal government. The real reason is that Tiktok has a large amount of popular leftist and anti-establishment voices. The real reason is that the US wants to funnel people into the social media sites that jump when the government tells them to.

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[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 2 years ago

"It's to protect our citizens from China!"

"Are we going to have stronger data protection laws across all 50 states and the federal government to help protect our citizens?"

"That sounds like a terrorist wanting privacy to hide form Facebook and Google's data to the NSA!"

Yeah, Chinese leadership was complaining about the mass migration from Twitter to Bluesky because it rendered their bit accounts useless, so it's not like it's a secret or anything.

This has always been about how TikTok can't be bought out as a propaganda machine by American billionaires.

[–] shittydwarf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 77 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] ech@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Dunno why the last bit was removed. Ruins the wordplay that would apply perfectly here.

[–] SoupBrick@yiffit.net 27 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

This article from 2024 gives a pretty good rundown as to why using this reasoning to ban Tiktok will set a very bad precedent:

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251086753/tiktok-ban-first-amendment-lawsuit-free-speech-project-texas

If the govt cared about your data privacy, they would create data collection regulations that they could then use to ban tiktok if/when they violate them.

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 years ago

Tell that to the Leopards Eating My Face voters here advocating for censorship and government overreach.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 26 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Nothing of value will be lost.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 29 points 2 years ago (19 children)

Idk, I think all these governments having trade and tech wars is bad for our freedom. But on the other hand, TikTok is pure misinformation slop.

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[–] grue@lemmy.world 23 points 2 years ago
[–] Supervisor194@lemmy.world 21 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Why is everything so glacially slow anymore. Fucking do something! I've been hearing about the demise of TiKTok for like three YEARS. Die already. Or don't, I'm just sick of hearing about how it "might close" any fucking day now.

[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 11 points 2 years ago

The 19th is the legal deadline.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

replace "data" with "ads/propaganda/right-wing content".

Sorry about the bad quality, i've resent this picture so many times now that there's barely any pixels left.

[–] FuzzyWeevil@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Meanwhile, FB and Google which are courting Trump, and Elon courting both Trump and Nazis, are perfectly fine.

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[–] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 17 points 2 years ago

Facebook first.

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

The best possible outcome would have been a digital bill of rights that applies to all social media. Please step outside the Amazon box youre thinking out of.

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[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 14 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

People really cheering this? I don't like TikTok because I don't much care for that style of short form video - but let's not act like it would be better under US tech giant control. Worse, I'd say.

Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok's U.S. patrons

Oooooh scaaaaary. I'd feel much safer having it under the control of a government who actually affects my life. 🙄

Red scare 2.0 bullshit

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 years ago

I am conditioned to be revolted by autoplay videos. Even here, when I opened this post on the mobile web version, a video autoplayed at the top and I immediately stopped it.

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago

Don't threaten us with a good time, TikTok!

[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 12 points 2 years ago
[–] MyOpinion@lemm.ee 10 points 2 years ago

Excellent! Please do. You would be doing the world a favor.

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 years ago

It's gonna happen on the 19th because otherwise TikTok could just pay Donald Trump to make it go away.

[–] MetalMachine@feddit.nl 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Just remember this is was because of so much pro palestine posts on TikTok.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The push to close TikTok happened before the Palestinian genocide.

[–] MetalMachine@feddit.nl 5 points 2 years ago

You're absolutely right. But the palestine issue pushed it over the edge. I forgot who exactly from the israeli camp but they said "we lost a whole generation"

[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Is there anything stopping them from just renaming the company and rebranding it to avoid this? I could care less if it goes away or not, but I am curious how easily it could be to just rename yourself or if that's actually covered somehow in this. Even still, I feel like there will definitely be loopholes that they can do to skate around it?

All they need to do is literally sell the American branch to a US company - even one they set up themselves.

The reason that they won't do this is because a US founded company has to play by different rules than a Chinese company can.

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