Comment on TikTok Users Gleefully Embrace Even More Chinese App To Spite US TikTok Ban
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 days agoA yes, like the freedom to buy a Windows licence to run basic required software, or the freedom to have a TV that updates to include banner unremovable ads. The freedom to give all your freedom away, so essential for innovation. /s
You’re argument is basically that you should have the right to to ruin yourself. Look, that normally has merit, because people know what’s best for them. But, I think it’s pretty clear that when it comes to tech people don’t know what’s best for them.
Meanwhile, within TikTok, it’s pretty clear that censorship is openly endorsed. You can’t even say “gun” on TikTok, and god knows how much user information they have to “play around” with.
t3rmit3@beehaw.org 3 days ago
Look, I agree with you that TikTok is bad, but… YES, freedom means the ability to choose, good or bad. If you want someone to blame for this, blame the US government for allowing US tech companies to become so predatory and gross that young people literally prefer a foreign product that may be profiling them. It’s not like data collection and censorship isn’t rife on Xitter or FB, and the reality for most Americans is that the US government has more ability to use their data to directly harm them than the CCP does. No one is worried that the Chinese government is going to show up in Alabama with CPS in tow because a teen revealed they’re trans online.
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 days ago
I don’t believe for a second people use TikTok because they have objections to the data collecting practices of Reels or whatever. They do it because it managed to be super addictive and get the network effect going faster than anybody else.
t3rmit3@beehaw.org 3 days ago
In the beginning, sure. But all the TikTok users actively choosing Chinese alternatives would seem to disagree with that, now.
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 days ago
That is in interesting phenomenon. I suspect it’s just out of spite, because people not understanding the technology is almost like a new law of the internet, and that it’ll blow over eventually.
If it doesn’t, WTF, basically. People are already getting kicked off of Xiaohongshu for being openly gay.