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TikTok’s Pro-China Tilt
(www.nytimes.com)
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this post was submitted on 24 Apr 2024
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Isn't the solution you're implying (and the solution pushed for by OP) if I'm not misunderstanding the exact mirror image? I.e. we should disallow TikTok from platforming opinions you disagree with (aligns with China) while allowing Facebook et al to continue because they mainly show opinions you happen to agree with (aligns with Western interests)?
I think the main opinion I see on Lemmy is that we should either force them all to regulate speech the same way, or not regulate free speech on any of them, but either way with a clear rule that is applied fairly and equally.
There's a significant difference between platforming an opinion and secretly boosting friendly content while suppressing contrary content. ByteDance has apparently been lying to everyone's face because they claimed they WEREN'T adjusting content like this when it turns out they are. That isn't platforming it's manipulation.
Then there's the idea that "aligns with China" is somehow equivalent to "aligns with Western interests" when the former represents a single political party in a single country (CCP) while the latter represents literally dozens of nations with hundreds of political parties that are loosely coalesced around a very generalized idea of Liberalism. The West simply doesn't have a singular opinion or interest on anything.
For example I can hop on Twitter or Insta or Lemmy and get everything from "Israel is da' bestest!" to "Israel is a monster committing genocide." and even though its diametrically opposed it can still be considered "Western Interest". Meanwhile over in TikTok land, at least according to the study, the exact opposite is happening. There's one correct opinion, the CCPs, and if content doesn't align with it then it gets pushed down.
A lot of people will claim that right up until they run into content they feel strongly about and then they'll call to have it boosted or censored, whichever aligns with their opinion. We've watched it play out over and over and over in Social Media the last few years.
In the end ByteDance / TikTok is a new and unique problem for the United States; for the first time ever we are being challenged by a tech platform from a rival nation that has vastly different policy goals and ideas about society and social management that are incompatible with our own.