Comment by gaoshan | Hacker News Reader

Comment by gaoshan | Hacker News Reader

Banning individual apps in this manner is wrong, IMO. In a country where concepts like freedom of speech and restrictions on government censorship are not insignificant considerations (in theory, at a minimum) a decision like this is unfortunate. China bans apps... tons of apps... in order to maintain strict control over the content and identity of users. This strategy is not something the US should be mimicking.

The claim that it's a "national security" risk and the ban is needed to mitigate that is silly. If it is really that then ban it from government facilities and devices. The actual risk from TikTok is no greater than the risk from Facebook, Instagram or any of a myriad of apps.

The correct thing to do would be to strengthen laws that address the core concerns so that we are protected from ANY app that represents a threat to privacy or security. Just banning a single app (and then another, and another...) is ridiculous and goes against a number of things this country is supposed to stand for.

So what if a conflict breaks out and the CCP essentially use TikTok as a pathway directly into the brains of millions of Americans. Let's say they tweak the algorithm with a button press to create confusion and public discord when we should be united to protect taiwan.

That's a possible tool of disinformation.

WHAT IF aliens invade and take over TikTok and then use it to convince hard-working Americans to dive into the mouths of the aliens?

It's a possible tool for aliens to make lunch.

One of those scenarios is much more likely than the other.

You (the US) should definitely make same laws banning aliens from owning social media before it's to late! Think about the children!!1!

hm, create a law which gives government emergency powers to delete apps / ban ip networks in case of a war

---

now that I think about it more banning foreign websites is the perfect way to brain wash

1. ban all foreign websites, because clearly it's a foreign influence on your people. "What if the war breaks" and so on

2. now you only have your local websites. Their owners are here and can be forced to mangle / edit content and bend it to your will. Where the foreign actor can ignore your requests local one can not

We already have it in Russia. People use the ugly and banned Facebook because they know that at least it's less censored in regards to Russian topics than locally owned VK or dzen. And Facebook is less likely to provide your messages to the russian police

Counterbalance to misinformation is, just, information. Strengthen the institutions that provide valuable and quality information and use them as counter. Why aren't PBS and such institutions funded to produce shorts that inform users and put those on Tiktok et all?

What if, by nature, any type of conspiracy information is much better at hitting dopamine centers and attracting viewers than the "real" news can ever be? What if PBS could never come close to what misinformation can do and who it can attract...

This is so fucking sad. As a russian american who lived through russian transition from relatively free country to an authoritarian one I'm getting dejavu vibes here(Putin started with taking over of all independent news sources like newspapers/tv and radio channels etc). This is not up to the government or some other people to decide what I read, what I watch where I get my information/news from. America has a beautiful concept of free speech, stick to it. I personally think that TikTok is a brain rot, but I still don't want any government involvement into this. Don't like it? - Don't use it.

Totally agree with this.

When did they say you can't read or watch? The same video producers on Tiktok can move to the multitude of platforms that are allowed. They can produce the exact same stuff.

The ban has nothing to do with the material, it has to do with the platform that is used to distribute and curate it. CCP by controlling the algorithm would allow it to do exactly what you say, at the push of a button.

Your comparison to Putin's Russia falls very short.

If they would ban what they think tiktok does wrong. Mr Zuckerberg would be very sad I guess.

But so much this, just banning TikTok will change nothing but more distrust in American politics

I broadly agree with this, but there was a path for the Tiktok app to not be banned, which is basically the China playbook of handing over control to a domestically controlled entity. Which in the case of a social media company with the reach of Tiktok i don't think is unreasonable.

Strengthened laws would be welcome, but all the social media companies would resist this as hard as they can. I don't see any real regulation happening until there is a crisis of some sort that will push it through against all the lobbyists and bought politicians.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com