Edit: Why should I care if China has my data? Everyone seems worried about it, but I can't think of a good reason. I can think of a lot of reasons why I would prefer my own government from having it, though. The only scenarios I can think of, is if I become rich or powerful, or if China takes over the US.
> The key personnel responsible for TikTok, including its CEO, Global Chief Security Officer, and General Counsel, are all Americans based in the United States—and therefore are not subject to Chinese law. U.S. content moderation is likewise led by a U.S.-based team and operates independently from China, and, as noted above, the TikTok application stores U.S. user data on servers located in the United States and Singapore.
So the US will still have your data (potentially).
Edit: Plus if that's all it takes to blackmail someone you can probably just bribe them with money or something just as easily.
Both political parties already elect people that have sexual assault allegations against them, have done racist things, sexist things, etc. I don't think anything on Tik Tok is gonna be scandalous enough to blackmail over.
Also, what kind of credibility could anyone attach to it?
Hey TikTok claims that Person A liked video B on date C. And what proof do they have? They could already just create a bunch of fake logs like this.
I hate to break it to you, but a site like reddit is 1000000x more incriminating for anyone than tiktok is.
I see no reason that they would resist the opportunity to build a social credit score of sorts for outsiders as well, and put pressure on other companies to enforce it quietly.
We've seen Zoom bans enforced globally at the behest of China because some folks got together on meetings about Tiananmen, and all Zoom had to say was "sorry had to do it".
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
-MLK Jr.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-31/chinese-government-ac...
Also, I really wonder what's that Tienanmen ban thing all about, given that it's common knowledge in China and - understandably, imho - part of their school curriculum.
"I really wonder what's that Tienanmen ban thing all about, given that it's common knowledge in China "
China's control on what is discussed and how internally is no mystery, their desire to do that outside their borders should be no surprise.
As for Tienanmen - okay, but this would require hiring people to follow every individual discussion, to see if the subject is being followed according to the official rules or not. It doesn't seem realistic.
The bans happened, Zoom said the request came from the Chinese government. How the Chinese government chose to do so really doesn't matter at that point does it? Same goes for the Streisand Effect... they're doing it none the less.
As for the bans - we don't know why they happened. Claims it's related to discussing Tienanmen are just that - claims.
You keep saying this, I've no reason to assume that's the reason they contacted them.
"we don't know why they happened."
Would that apply to winnie the poo and similar things?
I'm don't get this hand waving around 'we don't' really know why'.... is that supposed to make it ok?
As for "Winnie" - that's much easier, you can just grep for the phrase.
The "we don't know why" basically means we can't assume things, especially in this case, where there's a fundamental language barrier and ongoing propaganda war.