The so-called TikTok ban is a sneaky move by the government to gain control over the internet. (docs.house.gov)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by yogthos@lemmygrad.ml to c/us_news@lemmygrad.ml

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By giving the President the power to ban websites, not just apps, it opens up a whole new can of worms.

Instead of targeting foreign adversaries directly, the law holds US (or offshore) internet hosting services and app stores responsible for any breaches in security or privacy.

This is a Trojan horse that could lead to censorship and control over what people access online.

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[-] big_spoon@lemmygrad.ml 43 points 7 months ago

land of freedom

claim to defend freeze peach

blocks websites

pottery

[-] TeezyZeezy@lemmygrad.ml 33 points 7 months ago

There's no way this gets past the senate, right? Right?!

For real though, just an updated PATRIOT act for the internet, and clearly a response to mass spread of effective working class/pro-Palestine propaganda. Can't have the slaves seeing other slave rebellions!

[-] cfgaussian@lemmygrad.ml 16 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

It is actually more likely it gets past the Senate than the Congress. The Senate has always been the more reactionary body and the more dependable one for the neocon imperialist deep state to rely on to advance their agenda.

We already have laws like this in Europe, I think it would be very naive to believe that America is so exceptional that it won't happen there.

[-] SSJ2Marx@hexbear.net 7 points 7 months ago

At this point the only way I see it being blocked is as a last act of Mitch McConnel's "block everything during a Democratic presidency" strategy, which in the past has been set aside for bills like this so I don't see why they wouldn't let it through. The best way to block it might be to tie it to border security or something that the Reps don't want to give Dems a "win" on, lmao.

[-] relay@lemmygrad.ml 27 points 7 months ago

Could the government ban this site or any of the fediverse sites if they feel like it with this language?

[-] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 26 points 7 months ago

absolutely

[-] big_spoon@lemmygrad.ml 8 points 7 months ago

why would an anti-communist gubmint ban a site openly communist? that doesn't make sense!

[-] Vampire@hexbear.net 23 points 7 months ago

The government has banned lots of websites for years

[-] Munrock@lemmygrad.ml 19 points 7 months ago

Hard agree except for the 'sneaky' bit.

Anyone following these events can see what it's really about; the ones that deny it are feigning stupidity.

[-] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 12 points 7 months ago

true, it was pretty blatant

[-] fire86743@lemmygrad.ml 18 points 7 months ago

Could a VPN get around this?

[-] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 15 points 7 months ago

Yeah, it would be the same as getting around the firewall in China.

[-] ComradePupIvy@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 7 months ago

Does this mean the US will stop complaining abput thier firewall

[-] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 19 points 7 months ago

Nah, they'll just bran US firewall as the freedom wall.

[-] M68040@hexbear.net 11 points 7 months ago

One of these days I need to figure out how to connect clients to the WireGuard appliance I set up on my VM host

[-] tamagotchicowboy@hexbear.net 11 points 7 months ago

Yes, but I doubt many of the Tiktok creators/users will jump through vpn hoops. US may once again push to do something to civillians using VPNs, though that would harm the financial industry esp in regards to credit as well as those who work at home.

[-] SSJ2Marx@hexbear.net 8 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I think, if this passes, TikTok will just stop providing access to the app in American app stores. It shouldn't stop you from typing the website into your browser and accessing it, that would require ISPs to block access to it which I haven't heard of being part of the law and isn't in these screencaps.

[-] Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 6 points 7 months ago

It would be hilarious if people started using Tor to visit the site only for it to get blocked because the entire network is pretty much owned/operated by US intelligence agencies at this point. If that happens it will confirm that "free speech" is only for racism and pedophilia.

[-] SSJ2Marx@hexbear.net 4 points 7 months ago

I don't think a user would need a VPN, unless I'm reading this wrong it just means that the website can't be hosted on US servers or a US-based App store.

[-] tamagotchicowboy@hexbear.net 17 points 7 months ago

I remember reading in the early 00s nerds fearing walled gardens, now they're welcoming in the form of this ban.

[-] Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 16 points 7 months ago

Surely the gamers will rise up over this....

...

...right?

[-] bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml 16 points 7 months ago

Could this actually be a big deal for AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure? This might cause an economic crash accompanied by hundreds of thousands more layoffs if they decided to enforce it against US big tech companies.

[-] 201dberg@lemmygrad.ml 39 points 7 months ago

They will not use this against their masters. They will use this to serve them. Shut down competition and control the narrative to serve capitalism.

[-] ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml 31 points 7 months ago

All three are already in deep with the US security apparatus so I don't know how it could be used against them honestly.

[-] TeezyZeezy@lemmygrad.ml 16 points 7 months ago

Real lol it would get shot down the moment it actually threatened any of their daddy donors' profits, or they just wouldn't even propose it

This is the only reason I think they might not pass it, but if they twist it just enough to serve their masters like y'all said....

[-] Vampire@hexbear.net 11 points 7 months ago

lol this will not "cause an economic crash" come on

[-] TeezyZeezy@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 7 months ago

That's kind of what I was thinking too like, great TikTok is the scapegoat and China bad blah blah but what about the rest of the internet 💀

Like others said I think they'll find some kind of loophole or way to apply it only to their "adversary" industries and twist it to be able to serve their own donors. If it even gets passed

[-] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 16 points 7 months ago

This kind of stuff will absolutely be applied selectively. The whole point of a law like this is to let you shut down sites that are inconvenient.

[-] Frogmanfromlake@hexbear.net 16 points 7 months ago

The US is creating a bronze curtain.

[-] Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 8 points 7 months ago

Well guess it's time for the lemmy team to work on federated DikDok.

[-] supersolid_snake@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Hell yes, let's gooooo!

[-] supersolid_snake@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

They really think it's tiktok that makes people disgusted at the idf's crimes. I am sure more videos of IDF troops sniffing panties and shooting children to the shittiest EDM music you have ever heard will make the kids like them more.

[-] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 7 months ago

To be fair, if tiktok wasn't around most people simply wouldn't see what IDF is doing because US companies aggressively censor such content.

[-] Bart@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 7 months ago

This is why you need a usb with Tails installed.

[-] Mzuark@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 7 months ago

This is like the third time the US government has passed legislation to take control of the internet. Must be a lot of red tape.

this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2024

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