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Comment on It Appears Users Are Getting Bored With TikTok

charonn0@startrek.website ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

We’ve been covering many stories about a potential TikTok ban, including how unconstitutional it clearly is, how pointless it clearly is, and how even those who back it don’t seem to have a good explanation of why, beyond some vague handwaving about “China.”

The bill isn’t nearly as bad as they want you to think. It bans companies in Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran from operating social media apps in US markets, forcing them to sell if they already do. These four countries are already restricted from accessing sensitive parts of the US economy, with forced sale being a legal option. Really, the only novel part of the bill is applying these kinds of restrictions to software.

And the bill doesn’t actually punish or restrain users’ speech. It does restrain the social media company’s speech, but that may not be enough to overturn the bill on 1st amendment grounds. If you understand that social media exists to collect vast amounts of user data then you must also understand how the government has a legitimate interest in keeping that data out of an adversary’s hands. The only real question is whether the government has a compelling interest, because that’s the standard that a court would apply to this bill. And I daresay it might.

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cm0002@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I hate the amount of data American social media companies collect and what they do with it

I REALLY hate having Chinese or Russian or [Insert Authoritarian Hostile Country] doing it.

American companies do it for the pursuit of profits, Companies from these countries are doing it to topple our government or whatever.

Something something the devil you know…

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- 4am@lemm.ee ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  You do know that those mere profits are used to purchase whatever they want from the government, right?
  
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- match@pawb.social ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  this but the opposite, Chinese social media companies are taking my data for profit, American social media is doing it to topple the US government (also for profit)
  
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- DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  It’s profitable for the companies to sell it to the government… Basically just adds a step to the government getting it
  
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- Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  What if it becomes profitable to overthrow the government?
  
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  - TORFdot0@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Then you have the failed “Business Plot” of the 30’s meant to overthrow FDR
    
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conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Yeah, it’s very clearly not unconstitutional.

The constitution doesn’t grant jack shit for rights to enemy states.

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abhibeckert@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
While I agree - the part you’re missing is the vast majority of TikTok users are outside the United States.

TikTok isn’t going to want to sell. They will want some sort of “independent” subsidiary. But the thing is, that’s already the current structure and the US isn’t happy with that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they refuse to sell and wind up being banned.

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Quetzlcoatl@sh.itjust.works ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Meanwhile the biggest nazi platform on earth is being run by a south african who is getting top secret defense contracts. Make it make sense.

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- charonn0@startrek.website ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Musk’s companies are already based in the US. The issues you raise, however valid, are not really relevant to a discussion of this bill.
  
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