TikTok Closer to Potential U.S. Ban as House Passes Bill Requiring Sale

[hagar]

Interesting to read how all comments are against the EU-government opening up Apple’s ecosystem, but now make a 180 when it’s the US government cracking down on a foreign platform.

(I’m all for TikTok disappearing from the planet, just pointing out the irony).

 

[rgeneral]

Those TikTokers will remember this during the election.

it doesn't matter. they can still watch videos.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Those TikTokers will remember this during the election.

Imagine voting a certain way because you can't watch TikTok anymore

smh
🥺

 

[iLoveDeveloping]

Well, TikTok started the trend.

I just don't like this culture where everyone is trying to be a celebrity. And they'll go to extremes no matter how stupid or foolish to try to get attention.

You can’t be serious. Instagram and Facebook have been doing this for years. You absolutely aren’t very educated on social media apps yet you post this nonsense.

 

[Plutonius]

I don't think there would be many complaints from the regulators if the US TikTok was similar to the TikTok shown in China.

 

[TigerNike23]

calling china a bad actor to justify legislation is the oldest form of fear-mongering US politicians have available to them.

"communism is bad and is lurking in the shadows everywhere you go" is the only political language the US has spoken since like, the 50s.

Except China has a literal financial reason to hurt the United States, both with public debt and the trade deficit.

 

[genovelle]

Why TikTok specifically? Aren't Meta Reels and YT Shorts equally as bad?

Because they are not owned by a China Government controlled entity that has been caught using data from the 100 million users by operative is China. Just generally a bad idea to give that kind of access to an adversary. Remember the two platforms you mentioned are banned in China and they are not government t owned.

 

[contacos]

The US is only pissed because it isn’t an US company. Just like the whole drama surrounding the chips

 

[mogens]

My guess: AIPAC and Israel try to stop info from Gaza:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1766887534213173494

 

[dannyyankou]

You can’t be serious. Instagram and Facebook have been doing this for years. You absolutely aren’t very educated on social media apps yet you post this nonsense.

Instagram didn't get video until 2015. There was a big uptick in social media "influencers" with the rise of TikTok. And a big uptick in stupidity.

 

[JordanCautious]

They should ban Temu while they are at it lmao. Cause otherwise, this just looks like tech lobbying so Meta and Google can absorb the Tiktok audience and creators into Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts. Even if Tiktok gets sold to a US company, it's going to be completely different because: American Greed.

 

[NervousFish2]

Everyone calm down, this will not pass in the Senate

 

[GrayFlannel]

🤦‍♂️ ...

So the idea is to force a private company to give up control of it's data out of unverifiable fear and assumption that China will force said company to hand over it's user data to spread communist propaganda.

But by forcing the sale of the app to a US entity, that same data is just changing hands from one country to another but under the guise of "It's safer in America".

Meanwhile, Meta and X basically salivate at the opportunity to spread mis-information about anything because it generates revenue.

And China has said that it will block any attempt to allow the sale to happen.

So the alternative is to deny millions of users in the US their right to free speech.

It essentially comes down to this:

"TikTok should be an AMERICAN company because it's user data is safer with an american entity who will most definitely not, certainly wouldn't dream of using same said user data to spread mis-information and/or AMERICAN propaganda but if this doesn't happen, we'll suspend the 1st amendment for millions of people. We dont have an American entity in mind but we're willingly ignoring the fact that the US has had more data breaches than any other country and we have no laws protecting user data but we certainly WONT use that leaked data to spread mis-information or talk about the American way because communism is bad".

Yeah...this wont be a giant **** show...

Perhaps reading the bill will help.

https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/Protecting%20Americans%20From%20Foriegn%20Adversary%20Controlled%20Applications_3.5.24.pdf

 

[Eorlas]

Except China has a literal financial reason to hurt the United States, both with public debt and the trade deficit.

i didnt question this at all. it doesnt negate anything i said.

 

[transpo1]

Why TikTok specifically? Aren't Meta Reels and YT Shorts equally as bad?

Because TikTok is controlled by the CCP.

 

[ryan102]

It's still got to get through the Senate so it could go either way still but this Bill seems to have considerable support from across the board.

Anyone who thinks ByteDance are the only Chinese company not handing over data to the CCP is deluded. I'd imagine China has been manipulating people for a number of years now via TikTok and other methods. It's a slow process, gradually overtime you can feed thoughts/Ideas into a population without them realising.

Just look at the way TikTok responded to this vote. Suddenly started contacting millions of US users asking them to contact their politicians to stop them voting this through. In what world does that sit right?. Talk about political influence.

Those asking why not ban X/Facebook/Instagram, they're not owned by the Chinese is the simple answer. Despite all the cash Elon Musk & Mark Zuckerberg have, they still have to fully comply with US Laws because that's where they're based.

The damage TikTok (and others) have done to young people is unimaginable not to mention the thousands of kids who have taken their own lives because of TikTok crazes/challenges, maybe it's time to answer for it now.

God forbid millions of teenagers may now have to get off their phones and get actual jobs.

 

[trusso]

Like so many things, the technical concerns have largely faded into the background and this becomes more and more about political posturing.

 

[fenderbass146]

Excellent, nice to see the disfunction of that side of congress actually pass something.

 

[iBreatheApple]

The irony of this is that the US have similar laws under the Patriot Act which has been causing concern from the EU for years. There's been agreements and so on between US and EU, but it's not a full protection according to some.

It could be a quite troublesome future if this is a new trend. I can't imagine the Chinese government will just let this go without some retaliation.

If the Chinese government shows any ounce of care, it will make it abundantly clear this is the right call.

 

[ellsworth]

TikTok is a global platform. Only a fraction of it's revenue would be loss if it's banned in the US.
TikTok has 1.5 billion monthly active users worldwide and from that, 150 million of those users are American.

 

[transpo1]

Apparently, Schumer is on the fence, so we'll see what the Senate does. Meta and Google have their problems, too, but I've been in favor of forcing TikTok to divest since it was enacted the first time under Trump years ago, something that never should have been reversed. The concerning thing is that this bill includes presidential authority to ban not just apps, but websites as well. I support the divestiture but only with a provision that gives Congress that authority, not the executive branch.

 

[Black Belt]

Tiktok Is about as communist as my dog. It’s just entertainment mixed with hardcore freedom of speech which isn’t allowed on Facebook or other social media that bans it out of existence. Tiktok is about the only place you can broadcast your freedom of speech which is ironic considering where it is based. Not surprising Biden administration wants this freedom shut down

 

[DaveOP]

Why couldn't Apple buy it? They have no social media at all.

The question is why SHOULD Apple buy it? They have no core competency here, it would open them up to all sorts of scrutiny for the content on the platform, and it doesnt really aid their product line in any way. Just because they could doesn't mean they should.

 

[transpo1]

Please ban this nonsense. It's clear that China wants data on Americans and our mobile infrastructure.

Not only that, TikTok is an influence operation to corrupt our youth.

 

[trusso]

The concerning thing is that this bill includes presidential authority to ban not just apps, but websites as well. I support the divestiture but only with a provision that gives Congress that authority, not the executive branch.

I haven't read the bill, but if this is true, then my lukewarm no turns into a giant no-no. Republican, Democrat, or Polka-Dot, no president ought to be vested with that authority.

Tiktok is about the only place you can broadcast your freedom of speech which is ironic considering where it is based. Not surprising Biden administration wants this freedom shut down

Shoe's on the other foot, pal. Biden and the Democrats aren't taking away any of your freedoms, but I'll bet right-wingers would love to silence a Gen-Z hotbed.