I think this is important context when thinking about national security issues at stake with Tiktok. People who think they can't be propagandized on a platform that suppresses discussion of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet, spent a month sarcastically bidding adieu to their Chinese spy.
Meanwhile China is probably leveraging all the data they have at their disposal, tiktok included, for mapping out the extended support networks of democratic activists in Taiwan to prepare to throw them in jail after a forcible military takeover.
Which is not to say that I trust the moral authority of the United States, or that domestic companies don't cooperate with the United States national security interests. But people who spend a lot of time on the apps who think they can't be propagandized sure had a lot of fun laughing away some extremely serious concerns about the safety of people in Taiwan.
SilverElfin•3mo ago
Scary. I feel like China will want to invade Taiwan before the rest of the world is prepared to defend it.
bigyabai•3mo ago
By "the rest of the world" surely you just mean America. Not only is America the only country in the world that can make a dent in the PLAN, they can't afford to lose Taiwan at the going rate. Taiwan owes the US more money than Israel, Sweden, France and Switzerland combined: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/us-trade-...
glenstein•3mo ago
Meanwhile China is probably leveraging all the data they have at their disposal, tiktok included, for mapping out the extended support networks of democratic activists in Taiwan to prepare to throw them in jail after a forcible military takeover.
Which is not to say that I trust the moral authority of the United States, or that domestic companies don't cooperate with the United States national security interests. But people who spend a lot of time on the apps who think they can't be propagandized sure had a lot of fun laughing away some extremely serious concerns about the safety of people in Taiwan.