cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12876226
The measure that sailed unanimously through the House Energy and Commerce Committee would prohibit TikTok from US app stores unless the social media platform — used by roughly 170 million Americans — is quickly spun off from its China-linked parent company, ByteDance.
US officials have cited the widespread commercial availability of US citizens’ data as another source of national security risk. The US government and other domestic law enforcement agencies are also known to have purchased US citizens’ data from commercial data brokers.
If the same videos TikTok had were instead on YouTube shorts, would all you people be happy? What about if Meta had it? It’s pure nationalism and old people being scared of short form woke-ness.
I believe every social media has a misinformation problem, but I’m not just pinning it on TikTok.
Heck, our fear is the same reason we don’t have cheaper EVs. We say 'the CCP… ’ and poof less competition and shitter availability for Americans.
I think it’s ridiculous. I could care less if the CCP knows what type of short form videos I like. I’m sure our government has the same type of data. Obviously users could care less too. Leave choice to the people: hence freedom.
I believe in freedom of speech. Trying to take this (stupid) app away is a violation of it. I don’t care about who owns it or gets data from it.
And no: I don’t regularly use TikTok.
Its performative. There is at least logic in thinking that if TikTok had US ownership that it’d be more aligned to US interests but unless it was bought by a mega US corp, it’d likely just be a shell operation and nothing changes.
Why single out TikTok and not Chinese nationals buying US real estate, driving up the cost of commercial and residential rents?
I mean YouTube has both a propaganda funnel into white supremacy and sales of data/advertising to the CCP.
But it’s American right?