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TikTok’s Pro-China Tilt (www.nytimes.com)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg to c/usnews@beehaw.org

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The times dives into an intelligence report on how TikTok's political algorithm anomalies align with the CCP's Geostrategic Objectives https://networkcontagion.us/wp-content/uploads/A-Tik-Tok-ing-Timebomb_12.21.23.pdf

This report highlights major differences in the prevalence of hashtags related to subjects like Hong Kong Protests, Tainanmen Square, Tibet, the South China Sea, Taiwan, Uyghurs, Pro-Ukraine, and Pro-Isreal when compared to other major social media platforms.

Additionally the times cited a Wall Street Journal analysis (https://www.wsj.com/tech/tiktok-israel-gaza-hamas-war-a5dfa0ee) which "found evidence that TikTok was promoting extreme content, especially against Israel. (China has generally sided with Hamas.)"

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[–] BioDriver@beehaw.org 8 points 6 months ago (2 children)

This has been a known entity since the Australian equivalent of the CIA released a report saying the exact same thing (and more) in 2022. The people who don’t want TikTok banned are either in the CCP’s pocket or are addicted to the platform.

[–] luxyr42@lemmy.dormedas.com 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I've seen some discussion that selling the platform is a way to get a more pro-isreal/anti-palestine owner that will censor certain content or viewpoints.

[–] derbis@beehaw.org 1 points 6 months ago

Absolutely. Compare the kind of censorship that happens on Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit, to the kind that doesn't happen on TikTok.

For example, I got permanently banned from Reddit (reversed after a few days' appeal, but it took me out of the game) for pointing out others in the thread conflating ISIS with the general Palestinian public. This was, apparently, hate speech. You see people reporting similar things on all these American platforms.

I have my concerns about TikTok but the pearl clutching is very selective.

[–] Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Interesting, I hadn't heard about this Australian CIA report.

Do you have a link to what you're talking about?

[–] BioDriver@beehaw.org 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/dec/28/tiktok-data-collection-inquiry-australia-privacy-watchdog-marketing-pixels

[–] Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Thanks!

[–] BioDriver@beehaw.org 3 points 6 months ago

Here’s some more reading on the subject:

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/why-tiktok-isnt-really-a-social-media-app/

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/13/bytedance-executive-china-government-data