[autoexec]

TikTok isn't violating any US laws. If the US outlawed 'spreading disinformation to polarize politics' they'd have to ban youtube/facebook/twitter/reddit too. Do you think we should block all websites in China and Russia? Should we block their IP space entirely? We used to say that censoring the internet was something that only happened in Evil countries like China. We'd poke fun at their Great Firewall, but to preserve our own hypocrisy the US has decided to join in on the internet censorship game. Now congress is telling you what software you're allowed to install on your own hardware.

I think it's better to have freedom. As an American I should be able to view any media from any country I like as long as that media doesn't violate US law. Americans should have the freedom to use any software written in any country they like. In this case, we lost freedom to censorship and Democracy did nothing to stop it.

[xdennis]

> TikTok isn't violating any US laws.

Not a very good argument. This post is literally about the signing of the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act".

The loophole which is being closed is allowing foreign adversaries to control your social media apps.

It will be in violation if it doesn't sell.

[autoexec]

Yes, a law was just created specifically so that tiktok could be in violation of it. Before today the platform wasn't in violation of any law and there is still nothing unique about what they've been doing compared to US owned platforms, and while their existence as a non-US owned platform has been made illegal TikTok itself wasn't doing anything illegal as a Chinese owned platform.

[onepremise]

This exactly. We are basically giving them the keys to our culture. Especially since half the US was successfully convinced to write off their own freedom of press, which is one of the most fucking ridiculous things about it. We have the resources and freedom of our own press, guaranteed by the First Amendment. And ppl are bitching and moaning about a half-baked snapchat knockoff, with endless meme scroll animation. Half the US doesn't even realize they are using a CCP mandated and owned media outlet to rely on algorithmic digital chaos, which serves themselves to an echo of the past, and mistake it for future. We are literally watching another country manipulate policy in the house and senate live. There's no mistaking about it; we are being fucked with deliberately. Again, this isn't easy to see because it's been escalating gradually the past decade. However, if you follow the court cases, and occasionally listen to ongoing judicial and intelligence congressional hearings, they bring this up constantly. Make no mistake, American social media corps also need to be held accountable too. Americans have the right to assemble, even online. However, I don't think we should be letting Russia or China choose the platform. Again, we should only allow foreign investment from allied nations. THis shit with oligarchies and CCP controlled affiliates owning and getting on boards of disney, lucid, tesla, activation (blizzard), reddit, etc is just as fucked up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tencent

[asadotzler]

Foreigners weren't breaking our laws in 1934 when we banned them from owning radio and TV stations. Are you all really that poorly educated in US history? Have schools really deteriorated that much in the 35 years I've been away from them that kids don't know we have laws governing mass media in this country?

[anon373839]

When TikTok urged kids to phone Congress last month, apparently a number of them asked questions like "what's Congress?". I'm going to say yes, our schools have really deteriorated that much.