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Chinese companies can't be seen as different from their government, US companies can't be seen as different from their advertisers.

The Chinese ones are arguably worse right now, but that's due to a difference in current attitudes of their censors, not because one of them is somehow free from pressure.

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The difference is that the Chinese government can apply pressure via violence and arbitrary enforcement of laws, whereas advertisers can...decide to take their money elsewhere. Which is worse and more likely to lead to abuse?

US government is pressuring US companies in the exact same way, Snowden proved that.

The existence of Snowden, and his being alive and not dead, proves a salient difference.

He’s only alive because he was able to flee to Russia.

> only alive because he was able to flee to Russia

This is disingenuous. America hasn’t resorted to polonium tea tactics in the modern era. Chelsea Manning is injured but free.

Indeed, America drones people instead. Orders of magnitude more people.

You have no idea. Human lives mean nothing in China

[citation needed]

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