Can the West Learn from Social Media in China?

chanind.github.io

16 pointschanind5 comments

Maybe the title should be "What can Facebook learn from WeChat?"

Wechat has no ads because the government uses it to spy on almost everything you are doing from paying a parking ticket to purchasing groceries. It has replaced cash in many areas of China.

It's also tightly controlled and censored.

I would much rather have advertisers trying to sell me something than a totalitarian government using it to control my life.

Your life will not be disturbed until you use it to commit a crime.

Or maybe attend a peaceful protest asking for political change.

Fair enough, but also keep in mind that what constitutes a crime changes over time and culture. The law is also vulnerable to interpretation, for better or for worse, by those who enforce it.

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