this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2025
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Summary

TikTok plans to shut down its U.S. operations by January 19 unless the Supreme Court blocks a new law requiring its sale by Chinese parent company ByteDance.

The law, defended by the Biden administration as a national security measure, has been challenged by TikTok, ByteDance, and users as a violation of free speech.

The court, facing pressure from Trump to delay a decision, will hear arguments just days before the law's implementation.

A shutdown could cost TikTok millions of users and ad revenue, with a ruling expected soon.

top 38 comments
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[–] grue@lemmy.world 12 points 9 hours ago
[–] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 10 points 10 hours ago

Facebook first.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 65 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (3 children)

Stricter laws restricting data collection would actually solve the problem but that will hurt the American propaganda machine just as much. China will diffuse it's propaganda through our own social media like they clearly already do. They can literally buy the data from our own data brokers, it won't even stop them from being effective.

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 25 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

It's not simply about collecting data. That's only part of the problem.

Why do people keep repeating this like it's the only thing.

Tiktok controls the algorithm controlling which clips get shown. Combined with the data, this means they can propaganda individuals so hard it will make your head spin.

[–] Ok_imagination@lemmy.world 9 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah! Only Facebook can propagandize my sweet ass!

[–] grue@lemmy.world 8 points 9 hours ago

This is not an argument against banning TikTok. This is an argument for banning Facebook (and all other centralized social media) right along with it.

Yeah, Chinese leadership was complaining about the mass migration from Twitter to Bluesky because it rendered their bit accounts useless, so it's not like it's a secret or anything.

This has always been about how TikTok can't be bought out as a propaganda machine by American billionaires.

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 14 hours ago

"It's to protect our citizens from China!"

"Are we going to have stronger data protection laws across all 50 states and the federal government to help protect our citizens?"

"That sounds like a terrorist wanting privacy to hide form Facebook and Google's data to the NSA!"

[–] Supervisor194@lemmy.world 16 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Why is everything so glacially slow anymore. Fucking do something! I've been hearing about the demise of TiKTok for like three YEARS. Die already. Or don't, I'm just sick of hearing about how it "might close" any fucking day now.

[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 8 points 9 hours ago

The 19th is the legal deadline.

[–] shittydwarf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 68 points 15 hours ago (1 children)
[–] ech@lemm.ee 7 points 12 hours ago

Dunno why the last bit was removed. Ruins the wordplay that would apply perfectly here.

[–] SoupBrick@yiffit.net 18 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

This article from 2024 gives a pretty good rundown as to why using this reasoning to ban Tiktok will set a very bad precedent:

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251086753/tiktok-ban-first-amendment-lawsuit-free-speech-project-texas

If the govt cared about your data privacy, they would create data collection regulations that they could then use to ban tiktok if/when they violate them.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 28 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Nothing of value will be lost.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 28 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Idk, I think all these governments having trade and tech wars is bad for our freedom. But on the other hand, TikTok is pure misinformation slop.

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 16 points 15 hours ago

Best possible outcome.

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 14 points 14 hours ago

Don't threaten us with a good time, TikTok!

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 4 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

People really cheering this? I don't like TikTok because I don't much care for that style of short form video - but let's not act like it would be better under US tech giant control. Worse, I'd say.

Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok's U.S. patrons

Oooooh scaaaaary. I'd feel much safer having it under the control of a government who actually affects my life. 🙄

Red scare 2.0 bullshit

[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 11 points 15 hours ago
[–] galaskorz@discuss.online 6 points 13 hours ago

Oh man, threaten me with a good time.

[–] MyOpinion@lemm.ee 10 points 15 hours ago

Excellent! Please do. You would be doing the world a favor.

[–] MetalMachine@feddit.nl 3 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Just remember this is was because of so much pro palestine posts on TikTok.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 1 points 10 hours ago

The push to close TikTok happened before the Palestinian genocide.

[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Is there anything stopping them from just renaming the company and rebranding it to avoid this? I could care less if it goes away or not, but I am curious how easily it could be to just rename yourself or if that's actually covered somehow in this. Even still, I feel like there will definitely be loopholes that they can do to skate around it?

All they need to do is literally sell the American branch to a US company - even one they set up themselves.

The reason that they won't do this is because a US founded company has to play by different rules than a Chinese company can.

[–] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 1 points 14 hours ago

Great, I can smell the undeserved court injunction getting ready to spew forth from the Supreme Court. The type no regular US citizen would ever get for actual violations of the 1st amendment.