What is the definition of evil when it comes to TikToK?

Massive data collection being funnelled directly to the benefit of an adversarial totalitarian state.

Often coordinating to target intelligence and political targets.

It’s a technological wing for a totalitarian intelligence department. That’s what it is. It also has social media functions, but it also has an intelligence function.

If you think “well the US does it too” well I invite you to move to Shanghai and live the rest of your days there and tell me you feel just as free as in New York City.

Also, two wrongs don’t make a right.

> move to Shanghai and live the rest of your days there and tell me you feel just as free as in New York City.

In what ways would your freedom be impacted in Shangai vs NYC?

Because I know or a fact I'd able to live a normal life in Shangai. Work, grow kids, go out and enjoy entertainment, have good healthcare and so on.

Is it the ability to vote your president that makes or break "freedom" for you? Well apparently ~40% of USAmericans have given that up as the average voter turnout in the US is ~60%. The vote you are offered in the US is a Hobson's choice, it's a choice between bad and worse.

> In what ways would your freedom be impacted in Shangai vs NYC?

if that's actually what you believe in, no difference. To most people the differences are obvious.

> To most people the differences are obvious.

Hence no argument that you can actually explain, just a gut feeling driven by ignorance of what life in China is.

I'm sure whatever I write, you will find a straw man to vindicate your own feelings.

It must be hard to have opinions so fragile that they can't stand a discussion.

There you go. You have way too much time, reply to every comment. Typical.

Personal attacks. Typical.

If you mean that I have 1 minute every few hours to come check here if you answered me, yes I do. The same is true of you.

What a doomer outlook. Living in one of the best places run by a brutal, genocidal autocracy isn't so bad you guys (assuming you're in the ingroup, stay in line, ignore meatfisted policy implications, etc.)!

Doomer? Hundreds of millions getting out of poverty in China is all the hope I need.

Being afforded the opportunity to choose between a bad and a worse government gives me no hope, and apparently many feel the same in the so-called liberal democracies.

Just check this graph[0] at page 27. Am I the doomer or are about 40% of the world voters feeling doomed?

> brutal, genocidal autocracy

Brutal how? Genocidal is false as the whole Uyghur genocide has been proven over and over to be bullshit.

> assuming you're in the ingroup, stay in line, ignore meatfisted policy implications

lol, try to be openly communist in the USA and see what happens to your career.

.0: https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/voter-...

As 'evil' as FB is for example form my EU perspective.

So? We should allow one and not the other?

What about this false equivalency between China and the US? Even in a worse case scenario, data being taken by US intelligence is given SOME form of oversight. If you believe the US and China are similarly free, I invite you to tell me if you feel like you’re as free in New York City and San Francisco as Shanghai or Shenzen.

If you don’t think living in those two locations is equivalent, then why do you argue the data collection is the same.

If you're talking about freedom of speech, then obviously the US is more free (except for Montana now apparently).

If you're talking about safety, I can walk around Shanghai or Shenzhen at 3AM and not worry about being mugged.

Ignores completely my point. created 11 minutes ago. Hello botfarm?

Internationally, the US has burned, bombed, tortured, and assassinated the idea of equivalency out of existence.

If the problem is the behaviour of social media companies in general, legislate against that. Take note that it's not the conversation that's being had and that the people steering it have made their agenda, and ignorance, rather clear.

China didn’t coup my country or bomb neighbouring ones or invade a bunch further away.

You’re right that there isn’t an equivalence though, the US is far worse.

TikTok being evil is not the main point of OP. Is the society best served with banning evil things, would be a better framing. Banning is a knee-jerk reaction, and an attractive revenge fantasy for many, but when we're talking about society (or raising children), banning without other actions doesn't make the thing go away. For examples, look at the attempt of banning alcohol, drugs or sex work.

I don’t see the equivalency, since an American or European company can copy TikTok.

You can get your digital cocaine as long as it’s safely sourced.

They’re not banning TikTok style companies (which would be similar to your analogy) they are banning TikTok specifically due to its origin and actions (intelligence collection).

Are you suggesting that other countries should ban Google, Facebook, etc?

The pot calling the kettle black.

That's subjective and it doesn't matter.

You want to take away a first admendment right (imo) then you need definite proof that it's harmful