TikTok - the ultimate cyber weapon?

Seems that America may finally be waking up to what TikTok was actually made for by taking steps to ban it.

When you consider that it has millions of users, all zombified to do stupid dances etc and the fact that China has banned it in its own country - where it originated- surely more questions need to be asked beyond it being spyware.

I think it's a weapon China is using to dumb down the future western generations. They are so busy acting like performing monkeys that they don't care to look at the fact they are essentially doing as they are told by following pointless trends in the app and not enhancing their education or knowledge of the world.

Meanwhile China is pressing its future generations to study hard, learn and work for their countries greater good.

There may come a time where China decide to start activating a release of people's personal data, messages, explicit photos, what they have been doing with their time at work to destroy the entire western world by revealing what people are really up too and what they think of each other.

Surely it's time people wake up to the sleeping giant that is Chinas data collection and storage for future release?

a reply to: stu119

Any form of censorship is bad. Nothing good has ever come of it. It's essentially treating all citizens like children. Let's ban this or that because they can hurt themselves. It's always cloaked in some lofty slogans like "we must protect children", "we must fight disinformation", "we must create a safe space for women and minorities", "we can't tolerate hate speech" etc. But it primarily serves the government's interest. The less access you have to various information sources, the more susceptible to control you are.

I don't use Tiktok but how can you be sure that its ban isn't followed by banning other sites? I wouldn't laud China too. This sh**hole of a totalitarian country is a hundred times worse than Russia. It's the murderous regime which during the times of Covid literally locked people in their homes and let them burn inside.

Also when people post stupid or intimate stuff online, they do it at their own peril. If it's revealed, it won't destroy the whole Western world. In the worst case, it can destroy certain individuals, that is if they give a damn. Cyber reputation and all the threats to it are overrated.

a reply to: stu119

the kicker is, they use Tick-Tock to make the users of the app defend it from those noticing that the app has the ability to make it's users do just about anything. I believe it's called the circle of life. An African lion should be along soon to sing a song and eat some folks.

a reply to: stu119

The interesting thing is, in China tiktik is used as a state media tool, regulated to sort of keep people on the same rail culturally and such. It's more of an education tool there.

It reminds me of how the British isles operated with radio and TV for many years, everyone was on the same page because they were all in one time zone, so the government could easily use those forms of communication as a tool.

The unintended consequence of tiktok is that it spread to nations like the US and such where free speech exists, and it was used as such. Unregulated (to certain degrees).
Thing is tho, even if tiktok is banned, META has instagram primed and ready to take its place.
The only difference between the two is that one is owned by a giant corporation that shifts data to advertising company's, and the other is linked to the CCP. I guess pick the lesser or two evils?

a reply to: stu119
You are advocating censorship.

Do you even know why?

I'll give you a hint it has nothing to do with China.

It's because 1/3 of this country is getting it's news about the atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza. Has nothing to do about protecting you or me from China.

Be warry as once they start censorship it's only a matter of time before they silence you too.

I see this more and more on this website these days. It's unfortunate what ATS has turned into. A bunch of boot licking genocide supporting statists...

I was actually shocked how quickly conservatives started calling for censorship and de-platforming once people started circulating information about the atrocities carried out by Israel and it's far right zionists government.

Like they say to find out who rules over you, first find out who you can't criticize.

Are you aware you are essentially acting as a mouthpiece for a collapsing empire that has robbed you of your labor and wealth. Only to use it to send you and people you care about to die for no justifiable reason in a country many Americans didn't know existed until the man of FOX. CNN, or MSNBC told them about it...

I wonder if you realize that's you?
And like 75% of the people living under this rock of a website.

originally posted by: twistedpuppy
a reply to: stu119

Any form of censorship is bad. Nothing good has ever come of it. It's essentially treating all citizens like children. Let's ban this or that because they can hurt themselves. It's always cloaked in some lofty slogans like "we must protect children", "we must fight disinformation", "we must create a safe space for women and minorities", "we can't tolerate hate speech" etc. But it primarily serves the government's interest. The less access you have to various information sources, the more susceptible to control you are.

I don't use Tiktok but how can you be sure that its ban isn't followed by banning other sites? I wouldn't laud China too. This sh**hole of a totalitarian country is a hundred times worse than Russia. It's the murderous regime which during the times of Covid literally locked people in their homes and let them burn inside.

Also when people post stupid or intimate stuff online, they do it at their own peril. If it's revealed, it won't destroy the whole Western world. In the worst case, it can destroy certain individuals, that is if they give a damn. Cyber reputation and all the threats to it are overrated.

I'm not referring to when people post intimate or abusive stuff online, I'm talking about China having the ability to harvest all that data from your phone and dumping it on the web - nude pics, emails or texts about your friends or biss at work.

When you agree to the TikTok terms and conditions you give them access to all that data on your phone.

Just look at the news today, Temu is being asked why they are offering money to people with t&C's that state they can harvest data in perpetuity. Why would they want to do that for a shopping site?

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: stu119

the kicker is, they use Tick-Tock to make the users of the app defend it from those noticing that the app has the ability to make it's users do just about anything. I believe it's called the circle of life. An African lion should be along soon to sing a song and eat some folks.

Ive never been on this TIKTOK but am a bit curious...

Avatar..killer clowns from outer space.
love the film
cheers
uncle D

a reply to: stu119

I'm not referring to when people post intimate or abusive stuff online, I'm talking about China having the ability to harvest all that data from your phone and dumping it on the web - nude pics, emails or texts about your friends or biss at work.

How can it be "all data"? TikTok is no better or worse than Facebook. The app users decide what the app has an access to. It all depends what you use the app for. If you post photos, it has to have an access to your photo gallery and camera. If you do the video chat, then it has access to your camera etc. If people consent to it, the risk is on them.

If someone is paranoid like me, then they will have nothing "sensitive" on their phone. Not only do I have no naked pics on my phone but I totally boycott internet banking and online transactions. I don't even log into my bank account, just go to my local bank and get a printed monthly report. Because I'm afraid of malware.

To each their own. Some people are willing to take more risk than others. The government shouldn't babysit anyone, no need for that.

So... you're on the government ban-wagon..... that automatically makes everything stated in the OP suspect lol

TikTok is more significantly more than dances and zombified users - saying that puts you in the boomer group, for all intents and purposes. That just shows that the propaganda is being believed.

Remember COVID? Pepperidge Farm remembers. TikTok was one of the ONLY social media sources that showed what was really happening in France. Spain. Canada. Australia, etc. It allowed people to get together, communicate, and protest gross constitutional violations. It's still being used for that.

Additionally, it's a source of news, both local and global, including news on bills being proposed that people would otherwise not know about.

There is literally a channel that follows the stock trades of the Pelosi family so that every day folks can partake in stock profits.

Not to mention that TikTok is one of the LEAST CENSORED social media apps available.

THAT is why the government is claiming that it's evil. Not because spies or China, or whatever made up BS they throw out there that every other app in existence does. It's public communication. Protest. Lack of narrative control. Information circulation. Let's not forget, investment loss for congress. That is a danger to the government. Not this red scare China Bull$***.

Not about TikTok But about Censorship

Men Show Up At Person's Home Over Facebook Post About Joe Biden - LINK

Men in regular clothing show up at a citizens door to question them about posts on social media about Joe Biden.. They say they are with the FBI, and that they do this everyday, and all day long

originally posted by: alwaysbeenhere2

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: stu119

the kicker is, they use Tick-Tock to make the users of the app defend it from those noticing that the app has the ability to make it's users do just about anything. I believe it's called the circle of life. An African lion should be along soon to sing a song and eat some folks.

Ive never been on this TIKTOK but am a bit curious...

Avatar..killer clowns from outer space.
love the film
cheers
uncle D

I needed a good graphical representation of clown world, and the clown from Killer Clowns from Outer Space is what came to mind.

Tick-Tock is just an app, but it's wildly popular with the gen Z crowd, and they can be controlled by it to a large degree. If I was going to try to play the long game and take over a nation, I think starting by controlling the youth would be a fantastic way to go about it. Maybe that's what this is. They sure don't allow it in China, where the owners for this app reside.

I've said before, it's too late, pandoras box is open. Now about hoovering up all the data and posting nasty photos or things about you. That is too late. Even now the technology exists to show Jesus Christ in a video (don't ask) with male strippers in pornographic positions and if they can do that with him they could do that with you.

originally posted by: dothedew
So... you're on the government ban-wagon..... that automatically makes everything stated in the OP suspect lol

TikTok is more significantly more than dances and zombified users - saying that puts you in the boomer group, for all intents and purposes. That just shows that the propaganda is being believed.

Remember COVID? Pepperidge Farm remembers. TikTok was one of the ONLY social media sources that showed what was really happening in France. Spain. Canada. Australia, etc. It allowed people to get together, communicate, and protest gross constitutional violations. It's still being used for that.

Additionally, it's a source of news, both local and global, including news on bills being proposed that people would otherwise not know about.

There is literally a channel that follows the stock trades of the Pelosi family so that every day folks can partake in stock profits.

Not to mention that TikTok is one of the LEAST CENSORED social media apps available.

THAT is why the government is claiming that it's evil. Not because spies or China, or whatever made up BS they throw out there that every other app in existence does. It's public communication. Protest. Lack of narrative control. Information circulation. Let's not forget, investment loss for congress. That is a danger to the government. Not this red scare China Bull$***.

Where to begin.....

I never said I wanted TikTok banned, I said the US were waking up to its potential as a tool for cyber warfare as well as a sway on the next generation.

Tik tok is more than I mentioned, agreed, but my point is correct, it has people interacting with it and in a lot of cases it is dumb # they are doing.

You killed your argument with the censorship argument, why should it be censored? If you want control on people you have to offer them everything, not a restricted platform.

I'm not buying into any propaganda, you clearly have though by defending a tool that you gave full control of your device and all data on it too, feel free to look up their t&C's, it's clearly laid out.

To say a Chinese app that harvests far more data than Google and meta is the same as Google and meta is ridiculous unless you think your own government would perform attacks against you in the same manner china may want too in the future.