[handity]

It is not defense of TikTok to point out that all platforms are practically identical: centralized, closed source networks that collect ridiculously detailed data about millions of people, and are in a position to process that data for all kinds of fun stuff like surveilling people's physical movement, creating recommendation algorithms, performing sentiment analysis, and using those tools to try to manipulate populations, influence public thought, and sway elections.

There is no behavior that TikTok exhibits that isn't equally applicable to every major social media.

I don't particularly care whether right now, the CCP happens to use that manipulative potential for its own ends more than the US does. It shouldn't be hard to take a principled stand against dystopian surveillance.

I don't understand people who correctly point out that TikTok is a "vector for influence of public opinion", but somehow think that's only a bad thing if it's controlled by a "geopolitical adversary".

[_dark_matter_]

Baby steps! Let's do both. Let's rid ourselves of a foreign adversaries influence, then let's ALSO get more competition and reduce big techs influence. Why not both?

[cscurmudgeon]

> I don't understand people who correctly point out that TikTok is a "vector for influence of public opinion", but somehow think that's only a bad thing if it's controlled by a "geopolitical adversary".

By your implied logic, the US should allow Chinese police to function on US soil as the US already had US police on US soil.

[ninkendo]

As I read more and more comments like GP’s In this thread, I keep getting this vision of a man in France in 1940 welcoming nazi tanks to his town because “well, we have a military too, how is this any different, they’re just a geopolitical adversary” and “well, we had a corrupt politician once last year so our government is just as bad”.