U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisition of Musical.ly

Re:U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisi... by root_axis on Friday November 01, 2019 @07:01PM (#21424603)

I reject the idea that ownership of one of the most popular websites in the world is comparable in power to the threat of force that underpins the legal authority of the most powerful military in the world. I think that assertion is extreme and that you need to present some strong evidence to explain why popular websites are comparable in power to the justice department.

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Re:U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisi... by colordrops on Saturday November 02, 2019 @01:35AM (#21426083)

Watch the BBC documentary Century of Self, about Edward Bernays, the founder of propaganda in the US, who learned about psychology from his uncle Sigmund Freud, and happened to be the instigator of modern marketing.

The study and control of group behavior is real. The network of educated and privileged elite is real. The power of the media run by these elite perhaps surpasses that of the justice department. The media can start wars.

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Re:U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisi... by sinkelfink on Friday November 01, 2019 @07:41PM (#21424848)

I didn't say they were comparable in power. That's an argument I didn't make. I said the result is the same.

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Re:U.S. opens a national security review of TikTok’s acquisi... by root_axis on Friday November 01, 2019 @08:01PM (#21424947)

The result is not the same since government censorship is enforced through violence whereas corporate censorship is not enforced except within the confines of private property owned by the corporation.

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