Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

[FFabian]

I’m well aware of the US’s recent history, I protested the war in Iraq before the invasion. Doesn’t change the fact that Trump’s ramblings aren’t going to happen and China’s rumblings absolutely could.

But if you’re seriously suggesting the US are the bad guys here, I would encourage you to come to Washington and yell “Trump is a dictator who murders his own people” in a public place and then go to Beijing and yell “Xi is a dictator who murders his own people” in a public place and observe the differences in reactions.

Anyways we’re far enough apart here than I’m not sure further replies will be useful for either of us or anyone reading. Cheers!

The US track record of free speech paradise isn’t something I would flaunt lately.

US woman arrested for allegedly threatening health firm: ‘Delay, deny, depose’

Briana Boston accused of using same words written on ammunition at scene of killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO

www.theguardian.com

The US ranks place 55 after Belize and Ivory Coast on the World Free Press index.

Banning a social media platform is par for the course.

You, random internet US guy, say that the USA isn’t going to attack another country. Taking recent history as evidence suggests otherwise.

China is less of a threat than the USA is to a great many countries (including its current allies).

 

[I7guy]

The US is a foreign country for us too. What does YouTube, meta, google, Apple, Microsoft, etc do with our data? Could be a national security issue for every other country outside the US as well.

That’s something your government should raise if your government is concerned about it.

 

[JosephAW]

Belay that belay, that was a test drive.

 

[DaveN]

Interesting claim, but undermined with Zuck explicitly mentioning the EU laws against data collection as something he and Trump agreed to “work on” via tariffs.

So you don’t like it that EU laws prevent collection of personal data and are with Trump and Zuck changing it so your personal data can be collected?

 

[Macalway]

Maybe Musk will buy it. He could name it 'Y' (which I've often wondered, btw)

 

[Jetscreamer]

Because we're supposed to be a free country.

In theory.

 

[kk200]

And if a foreign country invades, should we just let them?

Look, I agree that the US has not done a good job of describing just how much data is being hoovered by the Chinese. I invite you to read the specifics of the TikTok user agreement.

Yes, Meta and all the rest do the same and it is for that reason that I don't use anything under the Meta umbrella, but it is silly not to acknowledge the difference between a US company doing it for profit and a foreign adversary using it to bury us.

So it will be ok if tomorrow German government requests Twitter to sell its German business to a German company, because clearly Elon tries to influence their election.

 

[icanhazmac]

So it will be ok if tomorrow German government requests Twitter to sell its German business to a German company, because clearly Elon tries to influence their election.

What is this Twitter you speak of?

If that is what Germany feels is in the best interest of its citizens, then I am fine with that. Any country, can choose whom they to do business with. China has banned many things from many countries, as have others.

List of websites blocked in mainland China - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ZipZilla]

Other countries ban TikTok due to fears of Chinese spying or content-related concerns, including India. This is not a new idea.

Foreign corporations have no first amendment rights in the US, so that doesn't apply here. I agree with New York Senator Chuck Schumer on this issue.

Trump is going for a joint venture, where a US entity owns the majority. It will be interesting to see how that pans out.

 

[AF_APPLETALK]

Most of what you find on TikTok is heavyset people

 

[FFabian]

What is this Twitter you speak of?

If that is what Germany feels is in the best interest of its citizens, then I am fine with that. Any country, can choose whom they to do business with. China has banned many things from many countries, as have others.

List of websites blocked in mainland China - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This you?

That is exactly how some of us feel about the EU, or any other entity, FORCING via legislation the additions of alt-stores or alt-payment processors, very extreme indeed.

I wonder how many EU consumers were clamoring for all this governmental overreach? My guess, 3.

Edit: ok, at least 12 for @klasma , I wasn't that far off.

Correct, this is about attempting to keep EU monies in the EU.

 

[CapitalIdea]

So you don’t like it that EU laws prevent collection of personal data and are with Trump and Zuck changing it so your personal data can be collected?

Actually, the opposite. I think the US is quite overdue on data privacy laws, and think Musk and Zuck are lizard people.

 

[AndiG]

So the kids are switching to Android and use sideloading ...

 

[vantelimus]

The US track record of free speech paradise isn’t something I would flaunt lately.

US woman arrested for allegedly threatening health firm: ‘Delay, deny, depose’

Briana Boston accused of using same words written on ammunition at scene of killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO

www.theguardian.com

Death threats are not protected speech.

 

[icanhazmac]

This you?

Sure is, what is your point?

 

[avz]

The Chinese ban our stuff, why not tit-for-tat?

The politics is counterintuitive.

For example if a "youtuber" makes a video about a corrupt politician, this politician cannot be fired as you don't want to give that much power to a "youtuber".

So "youtuber" essentially protected this corrupted politician from being fired.

 

[FFabian]

Death threats are not protected speech.

She was quoting a book title.

Funny when in Europe a hate speech post is banned because of indirect threats it's censoring and anti-free speech but when its happening in the USA its totally fine and no censoring at all. Hypocrisy.

 

[FFabian]

Sure is, what is your point?

When the EU regulates companies to do things "in the best interest of its citizens" its "overreach", "for monies" or "very extreme" according to you. But here you suddenly have no problem if Germany would expropriate X/Twitter. Your sudden change in opinion reeks of hypocrisy to defend the actions of the US government.

 

[vantelimus]

She was quoting a book title.

Funny when in Europe a hate speech post is banned because of indirect threats it's censoring and anti-free speech but when its happening in the USA its totally fine and no censoring at all. Hypocrisy.

Really? Who wrote the book “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next.”? Or didn't you read the whole article? Perhaps you failed to read further coverage which reported that she apologized in court and said she only used the phrase because of its recent popular use in association with the shooting. Unfortunately, your rhetoric falls flat since both in current cultural context and by admission, her words were a direct threat of death.

BTW, The book title was "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It". "Delay, Deny, Depose" were the words written on the bullets used to commit murder. So, your rhetoric really falls flat in lots of ways.

 

[FFabian]

Really? Who wrote the book “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next.”? Or didn't you read the whole article? Perhaps you failed to read further coverage which reported that she apologized in court and said she only used the phrase because of its recent popular use in association with the shooting. Unfortunately, your rhetoric falls flat since both in current cultural context and by admission, her words were a direct threat of death.

Ironic calling me out for not reading the article when its your reading comprehension that is failing here. She wasn't "in court" and she didn't say it was a threat but because it "was in the news" according to the article. Such details matter.

 

[icanhazmac]

When the EU regulates companies to do things "in the best interest of its citizens" its "overreach", "for monies" or "very extreme" according to you. But here you suddenly have no problem if Germany would expropriate X/Twitter. Your sudden change in opinion reeks of hypocrisy to defend the actions of the US government.

Not at all.

Those were my opinions regarding specific legislation. I don't have to like the choices other countries make, but as has been pointed out many times, if you want to operate in a specific country you have to abide by their laws, silly as they may be.

Not liking something, but having to accept it... really simple concept.

Per your example: if Germany felt it needed to block X, I might not like it, but it is certainly their choice and I will accept it. Just like China:

List of websites blocked in mainland China - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Now, if it is in my power to retaliate... 🤔 I might just do that. Or I might vote for folks that will.

 

[FFabian]

Not at all.

Those were my opinions regarding specific legislation. I don't have to like the choices other countries make, but as has been pointed out many times, if you want to operate in a specific country you have to abide by their laws, silly as they may be.

Not liking something, but having to accept it... really simple concept.

Per your example: if Germany felt it needed to block X, I might not like it, but it is certainly their choice and I will accept it. Just like China:

List of websites blocked in mainland China - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Weasel words.
"fine with that" doesn't indicate forced acceptance but complete agreement.

Definition of FINE/OKAY BY ME

—used to indicate complete agreement… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

 

[icanhazmac]

Weasel words.
"fine by me" doesn't indicate forced acceptance but complete agreement.

Definition of FINE/OKAY BY ME

—used to indicate complete agreement… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

Being a bit pedantic?

Whatever, enjoy this most glorious day.

 

[VulchR]

Why China may be OK selling TikTok to Elon Musk | CNN Business

After years of rejecting the idea of a sale of TikTok’s US assets to an American buyer in order to avert a ban, China and ByteDance may have found an owner they could live with: Elon Musk.

www.cnn.com

I figured this might be the case. After all, if Musk bought TikTok and rolled it into X, then young adults and kids could be exposed to a certain political point of view. Perhaps this is why Zuck is brown-nosing Trump so much - I doubt he would want competition from X if TikTok was joined to it.

FWIW my understanding is that the TikTok legislation was not about censorship, as some above have claimed, but concerns that TikTok could be used by a certain foreign government as a means of surveillance.

 

[surferfb]

Ironic calling me out for not reading the article when it’s your reading comprehension that is failing here. She wasn't "in court" and she didn't say it was a threat but because it "was in the news" according to the article. Such details matter.

Ironic that someone in a country that has extremely restrictive rules around certain political speech (See Strafgesetzbuch Sections 86a and 130 - which, to be abundantly clear, is understandable given the country’s history) is attacking the US “hypocrisy” and “censoring” for arresting someone for making a clear death threat.

I suspect that (mis)quoting words that were recently written on an assassin’s bullet immediately followed by “you people are next”, when those people work in the same industry as the assassinated person, would be considered Bedrohung as defined in StGB Section 241 had the offense occurred in the Bundesrepublik.