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Accuracy is not really relevant to the conversation. The point is that though the Chinese app gets a lot of crap for being a dataminer, the American social media apps are no better and in fact worse because they create ghost profiles of non users and make a ton of money selling that data indiscriminately. There’s no need to take offense, it isn’t a personal attack on your privacy practices.

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Duamerthrax@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago
Ever notice how any time a Chinese app gets highlighted as being for data harvesting, there’s a bunch of people crawling out of the woodwork to claim “whatabout american apps!?”, but whenever an American app gets the same exposer, noone ever goes “whatabout Chinese apps apps!?”

Highly personalized, targeted ads are more dangerous because they can create tailor made political ads. This was happening with Cambridge Analytica and it’s why having any political discussion online is impossible anymore because you’re never really sure what the other person “knows” anymore. Before that shit, everyone got the same speeches, news and ads.

You also have the blackmail factor. I do consider Chinese officials getting blackmail material on American politicians and businesses more dangerous then American companies doing the same. It’s a small margin, but there is a difference.

The best I can do is minimize how much they get from me, give them bad data and block any ads. The few times I see targeted ads seems to imply they think I’m a conservative woman. Who the hell else would want Concern Carry Yoga Pants?

These data harvesting creating fake profiles to sell to ad companies are not my concern. Let these shit companies cheat each other.

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- alekwithak@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago
  
  Ever notice how any time a Chinese app gets highlighted as being for data harvesting, there’s a bunch of people crawling out of the woodwork to claim “whatabout american apps!?”,
  
  Yes, because the American social media apps and other data harvesters have a much greater affect on our lives than Chinese, but American media goes on and on about the dangers of Chinese social media and most Americans don’t even think about American social media.
  
  And did you just accuse me of crawling out of woodwork?!
  
  but whenever an American app gets the same exposer, noone ever goes “whatabout Chinese apps apps!?”
  
  Yes because it makes perfect sense on western social media to cry “What about tiktok?!” When an article comes out about the very scandals you’re talking about. In fact I’m not sure what point you’re even trying to make saying the outrage is manufactured but then giving reasons why it should be legitimate.
  
  I do consider Chinese officials getting blackmail material on American politicians and businesses more dangerous then American companies doing the same.
  
  Well that’s an insane take. American companies blackmailing American politicians is why we slide further and further into a corporatocracy.
  
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0x0@infosec.pub ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago
You dont think bytedance do ghost profiles…?

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- alekwithak@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago
  I had assumed that’s what they were doing with the data they bought from data brokers like Meta and Alphabet, yes.
  
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