US claims TikTok collected user views on issues like abortion, gun control. (www.voanews.com)
from ModerateImprovement@sh.itjust.works to technology@lemmy.world on 27 Jul 2024 07:04
https://sh.itjust.works/post/22827261

#technology

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IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world on 27 Jul 2024 07:52 next collapse

I for one am shocked that TikTok is gathering usage statistics. Just SHOCKED!

The DoJ is desperate to try and pretend TikTok is doing something evil rather than what every website on the planet does. As if lemmy mods aren’t collecting data on here right now.

stoy@lemmy.zip on 27 Jul 2024 08:40 next collapse

I am a mod of a community that I lost interest in after I created it, still exists though, so I am a mod.

I have an entire notebook full of notes like this:

IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world believes that the DoJ is desperate to try and find that TikTok is doing something evil, when they are doing the exact same thing as other website does. They are also catching on to the secret cabal of lemmy mods, I must inform 17.

IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world on 27 Jul 2024 08:54 collapse

Tell me you don’t understand running a service without saying a word.

stoy@lemmy.zip on 27 Jul 2024 09:02 collapse

Tell me you don’t know the difference between an admin and a moderator without telling me you don’t know the difference between an admin and a moderator

helenslunch@feddit.nl on 27 Jul 2024 13:20 collapse

Always hilarious to see .world rubes defending Chinese spyware. Never change.

chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 27 Jul 2024 15:19 collapse

… as opposed to American Spyware? I’m no fan of any governments, including both Chinese and American (not fully anti government, just think all need drastic improvments) but while I understand calling it Spyware, the focus on Chinese feels a bit sinophobic. Facebook does bad spying work too, plus has run experiments on users live. Cambridge Analytica stole info for political means as well. Google, ISPs, and many other info sites collect and sell info on you, and many of them will submit info to governments when requested. X/Twitter is run by an egotistical MAGA idiot who is blocking stuff he doesn’t like but allowing Nazis to be broadcast to everyone.

They should all be considered similarly problematic.

helenslunch@feddit.nl on 27 Jul 2024 16:55 collapse

… as opposed to American Spyware?

Yes, even as opposed to American spyware.

It is both more invasive and more dangerous. Anybody who says otherwise is either an agent of the Chinese gov or just ignorant. Probably intentionally so.

xiao@sh.itjust.works on 27 Jul 2024 08:09 next collapse

Just like GAMAM in most of countries -_-… Ban them all

Ghyste@sh.itjust.works on 27 Jul 2024 11:50 next collapse

And everything else…

cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 27 Jul 2024 12:09 next collapse

no offence but i’m gonna have to see a lot more evidence before i believe something from us state media.

AbidanYre@lemmy.world on 27 Jul 2024 12:59 next collapse

On the other hand, it would be quite surprising if tiktok wasn’t collecting everything it could about its users.

HauntedCupcake@lemmy.world on 27 Jul 2024 17:56 collapse

Like literally every American company does. I’m not a tankie and I’m definitely not a fan of China, but this is one of those situations where the US government doesn’t actually care about the issue, just that they’re not the one doing it

AbidanYre@lemmy.world on 27 Jul 2024 22:37 next collapse

True. I think the US government’s concern is the relationship bytedance has with the Chinese government. But considering how easily US companies will roll over and provide/sell user data I’m not sure how much different it really is over here.

barsquid@lemmy.world on 28 Jul 2024 03:28 collapse

The government’s billionaire owners got worried TikTok would propagandize Americans in a wrong direction.

wafflez@lemmy.world on 27 Jul 2024 22:43 collapse

This is literally not new information. Social media tries to harvest as much data as it can. Data analysts frequently quit and instantly start using ad blockers and other protective measures for a reason.

technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 27 Jul 2024 14:48 next collapse

VOA News… US claims

Oh it’s that shill who only posts VOA. Untrustable.

TikTok

Definitely just some sinophobic BS about stuff that every tech company and govt surveillance agency does.

Flatworm7591@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 27 Jul 2024 15:39 collapse

We definitely shouldn’t normalise this sort of surveillance, whether it’s simply for advertising or for more nefarious purposes. China already banned apps like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter, so was that due to anglophobia or is it ok when China does it, but not when the US does it?

I agree with you on some level - it’s definitely not cool to only focus on TikTok, because these surveillance machines are IMO all equally problematic. But most Lemmy users have a dim view of all mainstream social media apps because they all suck with regards to user privacy. But is TikTok hated on more than Threads or Facebook? I really don’t think so. And the narrative that any criticism of the Chinese state must be sinophobic is total bullshit. The Chinese state is just as sleazy and authoritarian as any other large nation state. They all deserve criticism when they use these digital panopticons for political purposes.

Fizz@lemmy.nz on 27 Jul 2024 15:04 next collapse

Why is collecting that specifically bad?

rottingleaf@lemmy.world on 27 Jul 2024 18:51 next collapse

“Only we can do that”.

filister@lemmy.world on 27 Jul 2024 21:28 collapse

If only the US was applying the same level of scrutiny to Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.