US Downloads of TikTok and WeChat to Be Banned on Sunday

[Airforcekid]

National security takes on many more aspects than where data is stored. It's been proven multiple times that social media companies have been leveraged by foreign powers to influence elections and US policy. If we are really talking about clear and present national security threats, FB is number one right now. Knowing that 12 year old Suzy enjoys dog videos is pretty far down the threat list.

Facebook is the short game and is taking steps to get better (banning qnon and political ads etc) in the long game TikTok has CP issues that could leave an entire generation open to blackmail from a foreign power in ways we cant even imagine yet. When they address the issue it seems to be in the future sense when the users today are running for office or becoming CEOs.

I say this as someone whos SF-86 is in Chinese hands they know my entire history and it is disturbing thing in the back of my mind. I wouldn't want another generation to have to deal with this.

 

[Internaut]

I'm sanguine about the whole thing. It's just geopolitics with a sprinkling of demagoguery courtesy of Tigger's Bestie and the Orange One. That said, Facebook, Google and so on are not banned as such in China. Rather they refused to acquiesce to various Chinese legal requests (entirely within Chinese law). So any cheerleaders here might want to reflect on how Microsoft and Apple both get on famously with the Chinese.

 

[Chorx]

How exactly will buying a Samsung circumvent this?

Sideloading

 

[Airforcekid]

I just tried to download it, and it won't download, but neither will anything else. WTH???

Is there a bug that stops people from getting apps from the, um, 'App' Store?

I just restarted, and, nothing... WTH? Updates aren't working either!

Weird! My iPhone apparently connected to a wifi AP with no internet access. Don't know where it's coming from. Sounds ominous...

What DNS servers are you using? I lot of the security focused ones block TikTok and wechat already.

 

[Madhatter32]

The guy that issued this executive order is the same guy that has made america great "again" by ensuring that in 4 (VERY LONG) years it has gone back to 1960's-era-levels of civil unrest.

The same guy that even complained about last year's best picture winner because it was a Korean movie.

I could go on, but I have cancelled him and those that like him from my life (to the extent possible of course).

I trust NOTHING he says or does, nor believe that it comes from anywhere other than his "right" to defend the white supremacist AmeriKKKa that has existed since 1776, and has been kept at bay by the (multi-racial) blood of those who believe that it actually COULD be great.

Even the term "conservative" makes me sick.

They're all made of the same religio-fascist xenophobic stuff that other fools are made off, all over the world.:

From the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the Arab World, to the pseudo-socialist-egalitarian totalitarianism of Russia and China, to the European neo-Nazi idiots, to the racial-tribal-genocidal idiocy of Rwanda and South Africa, all the way to the confederate-flag-waving, science-denying, red-hat-wearing, insert-your-non-white-or-straight-here-phobes (and their non-white sympathizers) that fill the center of the US all the way to the appropriately-named White House.

Thus, this ban has NOTHING to do with National Security (even if it actually does) in his teeny-tiny little mind.

TDS is really a thing and I read that treatments are available for those affected.

Trump derangement syndrome - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-men/201901/is-trump-derangement-syndrome-real-mental-condition?page=1

 

[SoGood]

US is truly turning into a highway robber and a bully of the worst kind. It's my way or the highway, truly a self focused (read selfish) America First! Sadly for the US, these are but further evidences of the downfall of the US as a global leader and a setting superpower. Just pathetic and the rest of the world knows it!

 

[ericwn]

History shows were the US moves into peace is established we already made the mistake of not taking an active role after 1918 and World War 2 occurred since then any two countries with a McDonald's have not gone to war that is quite an achievement (Yes regional conflicts have happened Vietnam etc but that is far from a global conflict). I think the EU and Australia/New Zealand should take on a greater role to take some of the burden off of the US and prevent bullying even though we secure oil producing countries and still payed full price for oil. I am sure China and Russia would have payed full price after securing an area and also allowed governments that didn't agree with their ideals ask Hungary, Poland and Tibet about that one. China is building overseas bases in South America and Africa and publicly desire to take territory in India as well.

Well the United States of Aggressors have conveniently only taken action where it suits them and when. The invasion of Poland, Hungary etc by Russia was totally accepted at the time.

I don’t think anybody else has either a longing to run as world police nor the desire to deal with the problems that ignorant approach is creating.

But we’re getting far off topic sorry. Maybe circle back to the claim of a potential threat to national security. So far that’s hot air as were the WMDs in that last invasion into Iraq. Some proof would be desired from a first world country. Let’s see that threat in relation to data storage with other countries.

 

[ericwn]

best news of 2020

And why is that? What do you gain?

 

[racer1441]

Good! Anything that hurts the CCP is a benefit for the world including the people in China oppressed by the CCP thugs.

 

[Airforcekid]

Well the United States of Aggressors have conveniently only taken action where it suits them and when. The invasion of Poland, Hungary etc by Russia was totally accepted at the time.

I don’t think anybody else has either a longing to run as world police nor the desire to deal with the problems that ignorant approach is creating.

But we’re getting far off topic sorry. Maybe circle back to the claim of a potential threat to national security. So far that’s hot air as were the WMDs in that last invasion into Iraq. Some proof would be desired from a first world country. Let’s see that threat in relation to data storage with other countries.

It was not accepted we had a cold war over it and we just barley scrapped the plans to liberate them in 46 and the events of 56 and 68 never occurred in western Europe against NATO heck we even let France leave and Austria remain neutral even though it put us at a massive disadvantage. As I said before I am all for another country that promotes basic freedoms such as speech and religion stepping up onto the global stage and taking our place but everyone seems content with the US taking on that role for now. If you cant see how a foreign adversary having a wealth of information on the youth of a country cant harm that same country in an coming war (and you cant see that war coming) I am not sure how you will ever see it. https://www.boredpanda.com/tik-tok-reverse-engineered-data-information-collecting/

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

What DNS servers are you using? I lot of the security focused ones block TikTok and wechat already.

It's not DNS, it's a wifi AP that I can see, but can't control, and it has no internet connection, but accepts connections. Too strange.

 

[jonblatho]

Like what don’t people understand about this? Lol

Taking the U.S. government at its word is certainly a choice.

 

[1applerules1]

the war will be won on Sunday!

 

[mdatwood]

Facebook is the short game and is taking steps to get better (banning qnon and political ads etc) in the long game TikTok has CP issues that could leave an entire generation open to blackmail from a foreign power in ways we cant even imagine yet. When they address the issue it seems to be in the future sense when the users today are running for office or becoming CEOs.

I say this as someone whos SF-86 is in Chinese hands they know my entire history and it is disturbing thing in the back of my mind. I wouldn't want another generation to have to deal with this.

Possibly. An entire generation has and is growing up sharing everything online. Where the data is stored at this point means very little because most of it is already public (or close enough). As an aside, I'm old fashioned and say nothing/show nothing online that I wouldn't do in person.

TikTok could be part of some long game, but the long game doesn't matter if you lose the short game. Facebook banning ads and some groups means very little. Foreign bots and trolls are already using platforms like FB and Twitter to shape US elections [1] and policy [2]. If we're talking about national security, those are the real dangers, especially with an election so close. But hey, TikTok annoyed the POTUS and it makes good sound bite so let's ban that.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/17/misinformation-us-elections-2020-russia
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137759/

 

[Airforcekid]

It's not DNS, it's a wifi AP that I can see, but can't control, and it has no internet connection, but accepts connections. Too strange.

You can connect to an access point without it being connected to the internet a lot of people do it for smart home devices they locally control or just to stream content on a local network.

 

[TiggrToo]

I just tried to download it, and it won't download, but neither will anything else. WTH???

Is there a bug that stops people from getting apps from the, um, 'App' Store?

I just restarted, and, nothing... WTH? Updates aren't working either!

Weird! My iPhone apparently connected to a wifi AP with no internet access. Don't know where it's coming from. Sounds ominous...

Apple are having App Store issues right now. Keep trying, it’ll eventually kick in.

 

[ericwn]

Woooo! No more cringy videos of girls lip syncing terrible mumble rap and "dancing" like idiots.

Don’t open YouTube, that’s the advanced version.

 

[ericwn]

US is truly turning into a highway robber and a bully of the worst kind. It's my way or the highway, truly a self focused (read selfish) America First! Sadly for the US, these are but further evidences of the downfall of the US as a global leader and a setting superpower. Just pathetic and the rest of the world knows it!

Well said. Any attempts to copy China in regards to censorship are a real downfall for the land if the free.

 

[sw1tcher]

The guy that issued this executive order is the same guy that has made america great "again" by ensuring that in 4 (VERY LONG) years it has gone back to 1960's-era-levels of civil unrest.

That's why they need another 4 years to Make America Great Again. Again.

2020 RNC: Pence Pledges to ‘Make America Great Again – Again'

Mike Pence told delegates at the 2020 Republican National Convention that serving as vice president is “the greatest honor” of his life. “We’re going to make America great again — again,” Pence said.

www.nbcboston.com

because somewhere between January 20, 2017, and now, things went down hill.

 

[true god]

Great! Good riddance.

 

[Airforcekid]

Possibly. An entire generation has and is growing up sharing everything online. Where the data is stored at this point means very little because most of it is already public (or close enough). As an aside, I'm old fashioned and say nothing/show nothing online that I wouldn't do in person.

TikTok could be part of some long game, but the long game doesn't matter if you lose the short game. Facebook banning ads and some groups means very little. Foreign bots and trolls are already using platforms like FB and Twitter to shape US elections [1] and policy [2]. If we're talking about national security, those are the real dangers, especially with an election so close. But hey, TikTok annoyed the POTUS and it makes good sound bite so let's ban that.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/17/misinformation-us-elections-2020-russia
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137759/

So we shouldn't take action on long term threats just because we have a short term threat as well? When a business is based in the US it has some protections we do not afford foreign ones. Every country is like this and we are far from the first to make moves like this. I agree we need to move faster and they are a threat but change wont be coming fast especially when congress and judges have almost zero technical knowledge.

Breaking news: Apparently the US cant have a meeting with Taiwan anymore the war is coming. https://www.jpost.com/international...ese-planes-buzz-island-during-us-visit-642765

 

[ericwn]

the war will be won on Sunday!

Which war is that again?

 

[sw1tcher]

How christian of you.

The best way to show someone else is bad is by setting an example of what ”good” looks like.

MR needs a sarcasm tag.

 

[Wando64]

Wow, this is the type of action you’d expect from China, Iran or Erdogan’s Turkey.
I guess this administration is operating according to very similar principles: if they are not working for you, mute them.
Is this a sign of being great again?

 

[Wando64]

Great! Good riddance.

Today is TikTok, tomorrow could be Twitter, Facebook or MacRumors.