this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2024
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No Stupid Questions

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I'm not here to claim that Tiktok is completely harmless, or that it's even a good site. I'm sure they absolutely do collect as much personal information as they can, and I'm sure they give it to the Chinese government whenever they ask. But I don't understand how Meta and Facebook are meant to be any better? There's always a lot of hoo-haa going on with politicians promising to ban tiktok, and (at least back on Reddit) everybody's vowing they will never use tiktok because it's such a privacy invasive site. Yet I never see anybody going up against Facebook, at least the average person, but they collect just as much personal info and I'm sure hand it over whenever any government agency in the US asks them to

It kind of feels to me like this is some sort of country thing. China is bad, so they shouldn't have your personal info. But the US is the last bastion of free speech and privacy, so their companies would NEVER dare to invade your privacy, and their government would never abuse their power to get people's personal info

I'm aware Lemmy probably isn't the best place to ask since most people here seem to be deep into open source software and often privacy focused (so I suppose wouldn't use either) but this also feels like the only place on the internet I might actually get an answer that isn't just "TIKTOK BAD". If you refuse to use tiktok but are ok with Facebook - why?

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[–] Lemonparty@lemm.ee 3 points 8 months ago

I'm in my late 30s and nobody I know thinks Facebook is fine, including the few people I know that still use Facebook.

[–] mypasswordis1234@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago (4 children)

That's because all those boomers don't use TikTok so it's easy for them to say that "it's bad and privacy invading". However, when you have to accept that the platform you rely on so much is bad, it's not so easy to say "it's bad and privacy invading".

[–] TheInsane42@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

WTF would you rely on tiktok/facebook for something (or anything)?

I rely on my phone to be able to call somebody (or emergency services) when I need to, I rely on my transport to get me where I need to go and I rely on the grocery stores to provide food (alas, garden is not ig enough to grow it myself)

Anything on internet is optional, very entertaining and fun, but optional.

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[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 3 points 8 months ago

One other reason that I'm surprised not to have seen anyone has already brought up is the degree of government involvement. There's the perception (whether it's true or not) that a business run in China is necessarily on the lookout for the government's best interests and possibly directly interfered with by the government. The same perception says that's not true in America, where the only time the government is involved is through direct known legislation & regulation, or via espionage operations done against the company's will. There's an absence of fear that, for example, the company will be manipulating its algorithm for the government's gain. (Instead, it's purely manipulated for the company's shareholders' gain, which is oh so much better, right? Right?)

[–] guyrocket@kbin.social 3 points 8 months ago
[–] njordomir@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I can't speak to the privacy aspect, but its at least possible to interact with Facebook in a less algorithmized way, especially if you turn off the news feed and just search for interests or visit grandma's page. Ticktock, from what I understand, just profiles you into boxes and proceeds to shovel a stream of swill into your trough until you are maximally isolated and radicalized in your echo chamber. I think it's crazy to trust either and I'm glad to see GenZ shunning FB a little more. I avoided Ticktock, but do have a Facebook account.

I think how you interact with the sites can effect ~perception~ of privacy.

[–] lorty@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 months ago

China is the enemy, therefore when they do it it's bad.

[–] Mango@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Facebook is shit, but they're only shit for money. China wants to literally dominate the world.

[–] TheLobotomist@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

How is the US a bastion of free speech???

[–] ksgt69@lemm.ee 2 points 8 months ago

Meta/FB doesn't want anyone else sound what they do

[–] ABoxOfPhotons@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Tiktok is Chinese and Facebook is American... That's why they are saying tiktok is bad... Facebook is probably worse by a considerable degree.

[–] ReallyKinda@kbin.social 1 points 8 months ago

facebook is a US company and has a high incentive to reasonably adhere to US regulations and consumer protection laws, especially when it comes to US citizens. Tik-Tok is not a US company and is not incentivized to reasonably adhere to US regulations and consumer protection laws.

Both companies might share your information, but if you live in the US you would have SOME legal standing if a US company did something out of line with your data. If Tik-Tok decided to publicize all your messages I don’t imagine there is much you could do. If facebook did you could probably get a reasonable lawsuit going.

Because boomers use Facebook.

I don't use either.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Personally, I think they're all bad. the US is not nearly as bad as the CCP is, in regards to privacy and what they do with personal information. (the US might wish it had china's capability, though.) the CCP uses digital information to the extent of having an AI that watches everything you do- including CCTV recordings and everywhere you physically go; tracking what doors you use, in a broad surveillance campaign. (frequently, Uyghur Muslims are targets,).

They also have agents show up to live with you- if they think you're particularly... whatever...

China also uses the intel gleaned on TikTok to target people of interest; etc, and you're an idiot if you think TikTok's data it gleans on you doesn't go straight to the CCP. It also gets alot more information than you think- including other devices on your network, etc.

All that said; Meta/Facebook, twitter. Whoever. They're all selling their data to the CCP, too. and to the US. And to everyone else.

if you care about your data, the only real choice you have is to not use those services. at all.

[–] pop@lemmy.ml 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You're a bigger idiot if you think US is not nearly as bad as the CCP. People actively avoid anything that's closely connected to CCP. Chinese products are considered poorly built by default and appsconsidered malware and all the propaganda around makes anyone cautious of getting a "Chinese" phone or anything. US has been caught numerous times with backdoors and NDA contracts with the social media networks.

Most people can avoid chinese tech companies and products by just looking at their brand names, US tech companies? not so much. Smartphones wouldn't work properly without connecting to Apple or Google networks. Android users can install ROMs but Apple is just damn useless for privacy (unless you swallow their blue pills wholesale).

Just because China is open about their surveillance network doesn't mean other countries aren't. Anytime US companies are found to be spying, it's "corporate shit" and "greed", or some numbnut would say "capitalism", but things like Government having a closed backdoor to everything, no one fucking bats an eye. Ever. and is swept under the rug. Double standards much?

Your arguments are just talking points you're fed that make you feel better about yourself. Fuck China and fuck USA. US has been fucking medling with countries worldwide with their surveillance and shaping narratives with social media companies to benefit itself. Going as far as to perpetuate genocide and violence among people, you guys fucking deserve Tiktok.

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