Should We Ban TikTok?

[Diogenes]

No. Flagrantly anti free market and anti-liberty.

Also, if Tik Tok was banned, there would be no more LibsOfTikTok. Zoom though is a different issue though.

I do think China needs to be banned from the ag market and food supply chain.

[Thoughtful Monk]

Using that logic, we should just ban the whole Internet because you could plan such a challenge on any website. The purpose of TikTok isn't to create challenges; these could be done on any social networking site or email.

Yes, any website could be challenged on some grounds.

Sure, there could be these kinds of challenges on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. The question is why these are more common on TikTok? I suppose it could be that it's the most popular place for young people who are more likely to do stupid. However, given the ultimate ownership, the CCP, one has to wonder if there is more to it.

I think there is a valid discussion about the social costs of social media.

[Thoughtful Monk]

On this one point, if it can be proven that personal information is being stolen (meaning that is was not offered up voluntarily when installing and using the app) then the company is guilty of theft or complicit in it, and legal action can be taken.

The more serious problem is if the Chinese government is behind the theft. If so, just any ordinary bozo would have nothing to worry about. But people with serious skeletons in their closets can be blackmailed by China into performing anti-American activities. That is the bigger concern, IMO.

At this moment, true. However, given my anti-Chinese government positions, I'm worried about what might happen to me in the future.

[rogue06]

I read somewhere that installing Tik Tok on your cell phone can open a back door for the "company" to access data on it. Sort of the same bruhaha that Huawei faced.

I don't see any need to ban Tik Tok even is this is true. It's a matter of people being responsible for their actions. The risks need to be revealed, though.

Tik Tok should be banned or made unable to access on any government devices.

[Thoughtful Monk]

Tik Tok should be banned or made unable to access on any government devices.

As should any other social media site unless the user has a specific, job-related functions that requires them to use social media.

[Mountain Man]

I say yes. Look at how many Tik Tok challenges result in personal harm or theft. We had one person here steal 5 cars from the steal a car challenge.

A little more conspiratorial, I think China is using Tik Tok to sow confusion and dissent in the US. I'll bet a lot of these challenges originated from a Chinese CCP member in China. You'll never find the OP. Also, I don't trust the company's statement that they aren't harvesting our data for future use.

I get KingsGambit concern about Christian companies. I think even without this precedent, they'll eventually come after Christian websites under some form of hate speech violation.

Thanks, seer for starting this thread.

If we're going to ban TikTok because it encourages people to do stupid stuff, or because the company is harvesting users' private data, then we should ban every other social media platform, because they all do essentially the same thing.

[Gondwanaland]

Yes, any website could be challenged on some grounds.

Sure, there could be these kinds of challenges on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. The question is why these are more common on TikTok? I suppose it could be that it's the most popular place for young people who are more likely to do stupid. However, given the ultimate ownership, the CCP, one has to wonder if there is more to it.

I think there is a valid discussion about the social costs of social media.

It's not more common on TikTok. It's just TikTok is the latest platform to hate, so it gets the media attention when one of the 'challenges' goes down its pipeline even if that 'challenge' started elsewhere. I recall people attacking twitter and instagram several years back the same way because they wer ethe ones media focused on for the 'knock out challenge/game', etc.

[Thoughtful Monk]

Well, CNN this morning posted an article about states taking action against TikTok. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/14/tech/...tes/index.html

I found this the most interesting paragraph in the article.

US lawmakers have raised bipartisan concerns that China's national securities laws could force TikTok - or its parent, ByteDance - to hand over the personal data of its US users. Security experts have said that the data could allow China to identify intelligence opportunities or to seek to influence US users through disinformation campaigns.

(bolding added for emphasis)

[Thoughtful Monk]

If we're going to ban TikTok because it encourages people to do stupid stuff, or because the company is harvesting users' private data, then we should ban every other social media platform, because they all do essentially the same thing.

Which again points to my statement about needing to discuss the social costs of having social media.

[Mountain Man]

Which again points to my statement about needing to discuss the social costs of having social media.

What about the social costs of allowing people to assemble in large groups? Or the social costs of college fraternities? Or the social costs of any other human interaction?

I think this could quickly get us into the territory of things that we can not and should not allow the government to attempt to regulate.

[Thoughtful Monk]

It's not more common on TikTok. It's just TikTok is the latest platform to hate, so it gets the media attention when one of the 'challenges' goes down its pipeline even if that 'challenge' started elsewhere. I recall people attacking twitter and instagram several years back the same way because they wer ethe ones media focused on for the 'knock out challenge/game', etc.

Pointing at TikTok challenges may have been a diversion from the real issue. My bad.

I think the real issue is ownership and what happens to the data that TikTok collects.

[Ronson]

If we're going to ban TikTok because it encourages people to do stupid stuff, or because the company is harvesting users' private data, then we should ban every other social media platform, because they all do essentially the same thing.

If it is harvesting private data outside of its legal disclosure (i.e. grabbing info not related to the app) then I think there should at least be legal action. And that applies to FB, Google, and any other company.

My son-in-law told me he was about to install Tik Tok on his phone but read its disclosure first. He told me the disclosure says it will make unclear alterations to his phone and transfer data (of some sort). If these claims are in the disclosure then there's probably not much that can be done about it.

[Sparko]

I think we should ban tiktok just because it is so durn annoying.

[rogue06]

I think we should ban tiktok just because it is so durn annoying.

The prime reason you need to be banninated.

[One Bad Pig]

If we're going to ban TikTok because it encourages people to do stupid stuff, or because the company is harvesting users' private data, then we should ban every other social media platform, because they all do essentially the same thing.

The difference with TikTok is that it deliberately promotes the weirdest/worst stuff and pushes people toward it. The ChiCom government is using it to destroy American culture. The Chinese version has a completely different dynamic, promoting beautiful music/art, etc.