[j0ba]

The nice thing about Tiktok is we can totally trust the CCP to show brainwashing content to the children of foreign adversaries.

China banned Instagram et. al. because they're not stupid. They don't want foreign influence on their children.

US politicians are both corrupt and stupid.

[stemlord]

I don't disagree that US politicians are corrupt and stupid but as an American citizen I want to be able to access the world's information in order to establish an accurate perspective for myself. Banning media from certain countries is exactly how you develop a delusional worldview and ironically become more susceptible to propaganda.

[acchow]

If you want to avoid a delusional world view, I think targeted social media is probably what you want to avoid.

Maybe if TikTok could only serve content sorted by newest, or if you get a direct link URL from someone else.

[gardenhedge]

How about each public video is accessible but not in the algorithm scroll structure?

[TotoHorner]

> Banning media from certain countries is exactly how you develop a delusional worldview and ironically become more susceptible to propaganda

You think banning propaganda machines from other countries makes you more susceptible to propaganda?

[averageRoyalty]

It's not banning media from a country though, it's banning an app that is country run and can select specific media to show you.

[rayiner]

Have you seen the CCP propaganda on Tik Tok though? It’s quite wholesome. Like there’s one where this guy randomly helps poor kids and old people he encounters. It paints Chinese society in a positive light, probably making the standard of living seem better than it is. But in a way it’s not unlike what many Americans wish their kids were watching.

[sidewndr46]

Show the one where the guy gets caught up in an obscure non-state approved religion, falls down on his luck, but the government steps in & sends him to a retreat to get better. Then he enjoys the rest of his life manufacturing goods in a factory as part of his rehabilitation.

[toasted-subs]

They show what they wants to people. Seems extremely scary and suspicious to any parent with half a brain.

[thesuitonym]

Why do you think Tiktok is brainwashing children (why is it always children?) and Facebook, Twitter, etc aren't?

Why do you think Tiktok is the only vector for foreign influence, when it's been documented many, many times that domestic social media sites are rife with foreign misinformation?

What do you think Tiktok will do? Destabilize the US? Our politicians are already doing that. No need to worry about a boogyman from the other side of the globe. It's just a distraction.

[Ialdaboth]

On the long term, anthropological warfare is a clever idea... but it's probably a little too optimistic to think you can implement with just one app. The CCP/tiktok hysteria feels overblown to me - public education is what constituents should feel concerned about.

[kvgr]

This, china has access to "weights" that push content to people and pushes some content to background.

[vasdae]

Tiktok has been scrutinised so much that if they were showing "brainwashing content" to Western children we would've heard about it already.

[TotoHorner]

Are you joking or are you just completely uneducated on this topic?

There's been several outlets that have dived into the difference between the chinese version of TikTok and the western versions.

Also, they can affect public sentiment with slight nudges and those would be completely undetectable.

[local_crmdgeon]

I made a new account last week – totally blank, new device everything. The default FYP so far is all anti-Jewish – not anti-Israel, anti-Jewish – and far left-wing anti-American stuff. it intersperse with really low brow celebrity stuff.

Pretty intense stuff. Lots of “Jews run the world, and hate you” stuff that reporting doesn’t seem to work on. Lots of “America is a nightmare place” aimed at teenagers.

Pretty sure thats the CCP whipping up internal unrest here.

[milesvp]

Shit I’ve had youtube try to brainwash me. I clicked on one lecture, that I watched and thought was generally good, if not slightly contrarian. Turns out his later work was hugely influencial in the red pill nonsense. Needless to say, just watching this one lecture led my entire feed to be filled with red pill nonsense.

I have no doubt if I had clicked on similar content on tiktok I would have deluged with similar nonsense.

[DrThunder]

We have heard about it.... you're just not getting your news from sources that mention it. There are multiple things they allow on American TikTok that they do not allow on Chinese TikTok. They allow these things because they know it helps with social decay in America.