TikTok users have been deleting the app at a higher rate since the company announced that its U.S. operations would be housed in a new joint venture.
The short-form video platform’s daily average app uninstalls in the U.S. have increased nearly 150% over the past five days compared with the previous three months, market intelligence firm Sensor Tower told CNBC.
I find it funny that millions of people had no problem with an evil foreign government like the CCP, that’s well known for collecting data for military purposes and spending mind boggling amounts on propaganda campaigns, controlling the app, but now draw the line at some Silicon Valley billionaire doing essentially the same thing.
I never liked the short content format so I never had an interest downloading TikTok, but I knew that I would never, ever download it when I learned that this Chinese app is actually banned in China. They a have a separate clone of this app that’s exclusive to China that uses a different algorithm that promotes positive and educational content. The fact that billions of people use this shitty weaponized piece of Chinese spyware is depressing, especially when the Fediverse exists.
Well for starters - The United States government is kicking in doors in my local area right now.
The CCP would have to travel many thousand miles to kick in my door.
That’s a false sense of security. The CCP doesn’t need to kick down your door to weaponize your data. It should be common sense to not trust an authoritarian regime.
OK, as an American in the USA, what is the worst China can do to me with my “weaponized data” that is worse or the equivalent of me being tracked down and summarily executed a death squad which is the worst thing that the Trump regime can do with my data (which every US corporation is willing to hand over to them). It’s not that I trust the Chinese government. I just don’t care about them right now because my country is being destroyed by Nazis and find it bizarre that anyone would still be trying to sell us the “beware the Yellow Peril looming in the east!” neoliberal cold war horseshit.
Remember in the 80s when scary Japan was supposedly about to morph into some sort economic singularity and wipe us out with a thousand ultra mega Pearl Harbors all at once? Kind of reminds of the shit we hear about China today.
You know back then it was perfectly fine to be cozy with the PRC as they propped up the Khmer Rouge regime. But hey they illegally invaded Vietnam and cut ties with the Soviets so we loved them then.
Funny how the propaganda shifts like this depending on who’s befitting from it. But go on about how this time Yellow Peril is real this time.
You can’t worry about your taxes when your house is on fire man.
Your horse were not on fire when TikTok got introduced en masse.
So yeah, look for excusses
It’s been on fire a long time buddy.
yes you can, if tomorrow you’ll be thrown in jail for your taxes
You’re missing the point.
China might use your data and hurt you in some far future, whereas the USA will use your data right now in a direct and violent way.
I can explain how the US government having access to the database of all of TikTok’s data might directly result in a visit from ICE. The path to damage caused by China may exist too, but is much more nebulous, and much more difficult for China to execute on.
Yes, if you are in a government position, or in the army, you probably shouldn’t use TikTok under China’s management. But Joe Schmoe from California has little to materially fear from them. But he does have reason to fear the USA government who might well come over and arrest him.
Based on recent evidence, maybe the CCP > US Government.
that does not make them good, but fortunately we don’t have to accept either, right?
Respectfully, the CCP has been less of a direct threat than the US government as of late and most dont trust the government so why would they trust the propaganda? This isnt to say the CCP isnt a problem but are they as much of a direct threat to American citizens than ICE and such?.. ICE has now murdered more than one citizen in cold blood.
P.S. People need more education as to what the Fediverse is but until then they will always go with whats easier to use and access.
because visually it’s not coming from the government but “independent content creators”. and regardless of who says it, people will trust propaganda that says things they want to hear, then over time, start trusting those who say that
That’s such a nonsensical take. Because you don’t trust the US government, you’re go to thought is to hand over your data to an opaque authoritarian regime like the CCP? What kind of a bullshit false dichotomy is that? Fuck that, my data is my data. It doesn’t belong to any government, corporation, or anybody who isn’t me or someone that I explicitly give consent to use my data. That’s the principled take.
No, I am just explaining to you why people have used it. Humans do human things… being upset at it wont change the why. Citizens are terrified of the current threat. Not one miles away. Humans are wired to react to immediate danger.
Okay well first that typo is staying, second I used to be minorly involved in politics (by which I mean fundraising for a homeless shelter feels and smells a lot like politics even if your goals are more altruistic) and I learned one valuable thing. The right thing morally and the right thing politically are rarely the same, and when it looks like they are you should investigate closer and reevaluate because you’re probably missing something important. That’s why government is almost always evil.