TikTok operates as a sophisticated surveillance tool, says FCC commissioner

[@kateuhler7803]

Don't use tiktok. Or Twitter. In fact, I gave up keeping up with any SM. Only watch news clips and late night shows on youtube. That's it. And I love it, don't miss it, don't need it.

[@vicepresidentqfkjr1431]

Hi Kate, uh this is SM....but I get it, I quit too........ 🙄

[@Darthdesmond]

@@vicepresidentqfkjr1431 KZbin isn’t social media you donut. It’s a video sharing site with a comment section.

[@Kingfisher1215]

Turn off the late night news, it’s all oligarch propaganda.

[@SirenScorpio]

​@@vicepresidentqfkjr1431 oh I get it, comprehension isn't your strong suit or well pointed sarcasm huh? She said she don't keep up with it, not that she doesn't use it... There is a difference Duh 🙄

[@karld884]

I hear you. We're screaming about fentanyl while the SM digital drug pandemic continues unabated. Forget about our "privacy", we gave that up a couple of decades ago without a fight, for "security". I'm more concerned about mis/disinformation that's killing us through SM.

[@desmondjefferson2127]

Yes, because Facebook, IG, and Twitter don't do the exact same thing....

[@TonyBueno10]

I wonder what big social media company is trying to push for this 🤔

[@KokoMoorad]

It couldn’t possibly be META who sold our days to China already 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@davidb6576]

@@LibsBTrippin To provocateurs like you? Good, it's about time.

[@darrell20741]

Does it even meta but I am very sure it does meta to them and they are like facebook for lobbyists. 😉

[@bruceli9094]

Tiktok

[@TheRogueEmpire]

@@KokoMoorad even our weekends?!

[@laurencrouse2418]

The first time I have ever (respectfully) disagreed with Mr. Bowman. But that's okay, we don't have to agree on everything and I still respect Mr. Bowman.

[@ThisHereCommenter]

Here’s a question that I have, which I haven’t heard asked nor answered yet: Why is any app even ALLOWED ACCESS to know what a user is tapping onscreen when the user is not in that particular app? I really hope this whole discussion turns around on Google for how they allow app developers to exploit Android users, and the same thing for Apple and what they allow app devs to do in iOS. These OS-makers have to be held accountable because they are the gatekeepers that allow all of this activity, by all of these apps including TikTok. Why would you allow a million apps to come in and steal everyone’s data, digging around in things that are not their business and that they have no right to, but then get all up in arms when you happen to find out that one of those million is doing dirty things with that ill-gotten data? If every app is allowed to steal our data, is there any hope of catching all of the ones that are misusing it? Would you be able to catch an American company that is bringing in our data to an American server and then sending it out to China or Russia over an encrypted connection? Doesn’t it make more sense to just stop companies from digging around in our phones when we make the mistake of installing their app? Google and Apple need to be accountable for that.

[@habirton]

That's really an Android/Google problem which is why I switched to an iPhone years ago and never looked back. Google's permissions were (probably still are) very open. For example the "Read Phone State and Identity" permission allowed an app to: - Get a unique ID for the device (so far so good) - Know if the phone is turned on or off (still fine) - Know if you're in a phone call (hm, ok) - Know the duration of the call (getting weird) - Know your phone number and the number of the other party you're connected to (are you kidding me?) Almost every application on the Play Store required that. I don't think Angry Birds needed any of this (aside from maybe shutting down when you received a call which the OS does automatically anyway). What's even worse is that you give permissions when you install an Android app and you can't take it back. Whereas on iOS you get a dialogue as you're using the app saying "Hey, this app wants to access your contacts or location or photos" and you can allow/deny that request right there and then. You can also temporarily give an app a permission and revoke it. And when you give it access to your media library it's not an all or nothing proposition, you can actually select specific photos/videos that the app can see and nothing more. Let's look at how you even get your app on both platforms: - Google was a $25 one time fee for a Developer account. That was it. You sign up for an account and pay with a credit card. Once I uploaded the app it was available for download within 4 hours after some automated testing ran against it. - Apple on the other hand, called my company to speak with me and verify who I am. They then talked to the CEO. We had to submit our business DUNS number and pay a yearly $100 fee. On top of that, it took them 4-6 weeks to have a human physically test out the app who came back with suggestions that actually made the app better. All-in-all, it was roughly 2 months before being approved to be in the store. Google does not care about your privacy, they're an advertising company. Apple cares because they have an image/reputation to maintain and because they want to lock you into their hardware/software platform. They don't care much for your data, they just want your money. To put it in other terms, when they say "If it's free, you are the product" that is 100% the case when it comes to Google/Alphabet. > Would you be able to catch an American company that is bringing in our data to an American server and then sending it out to China or Russia over an encrypted connection? No. Once the data is off of your phone all bets are off. We have something similar to GDPR in California but it was watered down. Still better than most other states though, but not good enough.

[@bipolarbear9917]

I think everyone interested in this topic should read Prof.Shoshana Zuboff’s book: ‘The Age of Surveillance Capitalism- The Fight for Human Survival at the New Frontier of Power’. It’s a real eye-opener. One of the authors classic statements is; “When we thought we were searching Google, Google was searching us”. And don’t be fooled, it’s not just Google, or Apple, or Microsoft, or Amazon, or Twitter, or Tik Tok. They’re all doing it. If you want to use the internet it’s impossible to avoid this problem. Social Media in particular has opened a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of unintended consequences.

[@darrell20741]

Google is much more a threat to MY privacy than anything.

[@benaravensfan]

@@habirton I don't trust Apple and their walled garden approach as much as Android's openness. Tim Cook has been constantly silent on China, even more so after people called him out for doing an interview with Chinese state propaganda rag China Daily. A reporter had confronted Tim Cook about China during a recent trip he made to Capitol Hill and he didn't say a word. Back in January, Apple got hit with an $8.5 million fine by French authorities for data harvesting. I have started to ask a person if they have TikTok/Douyin on their phone before I let them take my picture regardless if they have an Android phone or an iPhone and if the answer is yes, I say no to the photo. The EU is kicking Apple's butt right now, starting with them forcing Apple to ditch lightning for USB-C. The EU isn't being much easier on Google, either.

[@vicepresidentqfkjr1431]

Not unlike the NSA, and our cell phones ???

[@OMGFrijoles]

They Chinese is better at this stuff, is what they're saying.

[@SirenScorpio]

That was done to Americans by America. This is one country doing it to another which has larger implications.... It's much bigger things at play.

[@NdeebwaKW]

So the country that believes in social conditioning/programming through technological incentives on a mass scale isn’t using thier most popular app to the same end? If the glove fits.😅

[@NdeebwaKW]

Who else dances in unison, what a cool way to promote conformity 😂😂 they have your kids dancing to strangers cuz it’s fun. They already own you ahahaha and I have TikTok but I’m old and washed, too late to program me. Many institutions have tried and failed which is why I leave KZbin comments now hahahaha

[@xXAscendingPhoenixXx]

@@NdeebwaKW Pretty foolish to think Google and Facebook don't do the same buddy

[@NdeebwaKW]

@@xXAscendingPhoenixXx down to talk more if you want. Not in a gotcha kinda way but I wanna learn

[@donaldniman3002]

So, Chinese dark money is paying for Bowman's campaign, yes? It's irresponsible not to speculate.

[@hamburgler227]

Right bc blind speculation is real responsible. Not like we have a conspiracy problem in this country or anything

[@myralhf]

TikTok is a horrible manipulative tool...negative .

[@posthocprior]

Not asked: what's changed in the two or three years since this debate was last had? That is, it was known that TikTok collects sensitive data and that the CCP has access to it, during the last public debate about TikTok. This hasn't changed. If the risks are the same, now, as then, what's changed?

[@davidb6576]

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and China's closeness to Russia. The geopolitical struggle is real...

[@Heywoodjablowme2]

Democrats say its ok now

[@davidb6576]

@@Heywoodjablowme2 A few, and they should rethink their position (and donate any funds they got to charity). Still, it's a lot better than fomenting treason like the previous prez.

[@habirton]

Meta/Facebook is hemorrhaging money. They paid a right-leaning consulting firm (Targeted Victory) to orchestrate a nation wide campaign against TikTok. They also lobby (cough, bribe, cough) congress directly. Fun fact, they said they'll stop sharing advertising revenue with creators on Instagram as soon as the war drum against TikTok started. Why pay for content when you can just block your competition?

[@bruceli9094]

Democrats: It's okay when we do it!

[@damham5689]

Did he seriously use a story from Forbes? Forbes who is owned by a Chinese company ? Lol😂

[@gafls3151]

That's true. Whale (how ironic a name is that?), a Hong Kong company, owns 95% of the company. The other five is owned by the Forbes family.

[@pc4mlc451]

This hasn't been news for years, MSNBC.

[@celticman1909]

I guess the teenage girls that are so adversely affected 😔 are seeing a nonstop parade of exceptionally beautiful and built females that they know they could never be on a par with. Beauty and physical features are a lot more important to them than they let on.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

This is such a passive-aggressive, shady comment. You sure you're not one of those teenaged girls who can't measure up? Or are you just projecting misogyny onto girls who haven't done you any harm?

[@celticman1909]

@@LadyAstarionAncunin Okay phoecious guy, why are adolescent girls so psychologically affected by the Tic Tock app so as to be so suicidal in such large numbers? To be the problem that it is said to be?

[@laurencrouse2418]

good coverage/explanation

[@Lords1997]

I understand our data is sold in the US as well, but I also realize that info is only used for commercial purposes in the pursuit of capital which also indirectly sometimes positively affects me. There are also mechanisms/institutions that exist to limit out governments actions/attempts to acquire said data. In contrast, Chinese companies are beholden to the government which is the CCP. There is no checks and balances. Hence you get these instances where the CCP is spying in journalist, and maybe even the children/families of leaders of nations, be it political or military. Even the extremely rich. All to gain leverage.

[@darrell20741]

Spying on journalists can be done on any platform if the government is involved.

[@chriswheeler6092]

When you have lived in a democratic city you learn that the first question for people like that is "are you getting any money from them?"have they gave you anything or have they agreed to give you money in the future?" Then the conversation can go forward,but we won't waste our time until we know what motivates you.

[@ruthdepew7212]

Brendan Carr needs a spokesperson. I tend to agree with what he says, but the longer he talks the less I believe him.

[@darrell20741]

Biden needs to replace him.

[@jamesgrimsey8865]

i have heard nothing that convinces me to worry. many companies sell your information, they just don't want to compete. this guy is showing his political agenda

[@caitcasali3207]

Why does congress still create presentations that look like the ones I made in grammar school? The optics are terrible! I feel bad for the poor guy holding up the cheap Kinko posterboard. They can't even get a stand? It's 2023. It would have been hysterical if they used TikTok to make their presentations 🤣 My apple account has been hacked 3 times in the last five years and I didn't even get an apology. Idk I could care less about Tiktok but it's hard to watch people old as dirt that don't know a thing about any apps sit up there with their cue cards preaching about privacy practices 😵‍💫🙄

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

Because they're old. There should be an age cap on all government positions instead of letting old people who'll be gone in a decade or two set the nation for decades to come.

[@davidromney4150]

Social Media is not our friend. Heavy constraints might change this.

[@xaviercheyron2590]

Dear jamaal bowman, you are on the wrong side of the issue.

[@xaviercheyron2590]

Also, on the privacy side... What about the slew of companies directly linked to the chinese military that collect DNA samples in the US for ancestry research purposes, or through pregnancy tests. No to be a conspirationist, that's dream material for ethnicaly targeted biology. (Which is the object of official military R&D in china)

[@gregorywilson2124]

Bowman must be get paid by the CCP.

[@hamburgler227]

So basically, the threat is that young girls are being pressured to have eating disorders??

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

While I don't disagree (thus, I don't use it -- but then I don't do social media anymore), let's not pretend that even Google itself and Siri and Google Assistant and all of these things aren't listening to us as well. By now, tons of people have had the experience of talking about something (assumedly, in private) and then having that thing suggested to them in an ad later.

[@robinmcunknown1025]

Movie Trailers,Music, ads, information social networking

[@celebrityrog]

What is TicTok spying on? A bunch of wannabe famous people who make videos of their life. Cmon.

[@NeurexHelpGPT]

Their financial info, location, browsing history, and social security numbers.

[@grtinfulleffect8349]

The greatest threat to the wye man is the wye man's greed.

[@MagnusWurzer]

"TikTok" ... strange way to pronounce "the internet".

[@cdes68]

Pointless to bother really.

[@joem3502]

Big brother can't control tiktok, so it has to go.

[@bartjargengarblbargeler1980]

The MSNBC logo should be placed on Mt. Rushmore. There's room right below their nostrils 🏳‍🌈

[@paolee2730]

Like most Trump supporters would always says.... where, where? How, and prove it! Prove it then!

[@rubenmares-mw9hv]

Its like everyday, they use our ip adress then feedback information. Although I think they are the actors in the app.

[@cocacola4blood365]

Bytedance can bite me.

[@-danR]

Mr. Carr's aides need to hold off shuffling paper for the interview duration.

[@willli8163]

🤣 ya all those scary kids posting Chinese propaganda 🤦‍♂️

[@paultaylor4951]

We need to go a little further. Suggest complete economic isolation for the handfull of rogue states in the world namely China, Russia, Iran and the few others who'll go with them. C'mon we tried, we really tried but you've got to accept it eventually. On purely moral grounds I'm disgusted by our involvement with these 1984-like political states. Their intentions toward humanity are not honorable by my definition.

[@darrell20741]

tiktok is not a political state and neither is any social media.

[@mykofreder1682]

I am sure the app has been analyzed and know what it does, if they are gathering information like everyone else and you have no control over government use of that information it is a problem. Maybe everyone else is doing the same thing but you know the government using the information would be a disaster for the company and government. The argument is pretty good of it being a government and not private effort in the US. The US does the same thing and it would be justified for China, Iran to eliminate western technology, they have hacked technology because they say is being used in their nuclear program.

[@danielschaeffer1294]

How can I live without my Tom Cruise deepfakes?

[@SP-ig3vs]

Better ask what's really going on somewhere else that their trying to distract us with through this tik tok ban?

[@cocacola4blood365]

I avoid social media like the plague. If I hadn't had that stance towards TikTok originally, I would've upon seeing the brief trend of TikTokkers tanning their rectums.

[@darrell20741]

Can you show me a link to one of those tiktok videos on tiktok? I for sure can show you some on Twitter! Twitter is so full of dangers for kids it should have been banned years ago!

[@GivePeaceAChance12]

China doesn't allow use of tictoc It's really sad because the app has it's uses .

[@oppressedspeakeroftruth6558]

Dancing nurses on tiktok during covid showed me that covid wasn't a big deal. Thanks tiktok!

[@kated9914]

Over a million Americans died from COVID but dancing nurses told you that it wasn't a big deal. Seriously?

[@notmecancelmenohelp-vy4ee]

So the millions that died showed you nothing. You call that being smart, right

[@bartjargengarblbargeler1980]

@@notmecancelmenohelp-vy4ee I bet you think the vaccine works too

[@oppressedspeakeroftruth6558]

What happened to the flu? Suddenly it went away ? How many die from the flu? Do simple math you dummies.

[@oppressedspeakeroftruth6558]

Millllions died from covid but the flu was cured. Same people dying from the flu..died from coovid but the dlflu disappeared? 🤡🤡🤡🤡 take a minute. Think. Use your brain

[@Daniel-sm9pw]

Nothing like some tasty MSNBC propaganda in the morning

[@b.t.2795]

Why are you here rent free grandma? 🙄

[@joshrunningdownthehawley7461]

Drink it up, and got to TRUTH SOCIAL......where truth can't be found 😂😂

[@bobevans9955]

Trump was right again about Tik-Tok

[@b.t.2795]

And now Trump's Truth Social is being investigated for Russian money laundering.

[@vicepresidentqfkjr1431]

Trump never tells the truth......only criminals plead the 5th......when you have to ask for protests because you may be arrested.................. means you aren't innocent,

[@tonynunez6539]

If you trust Trump you have serious problems. Get some help.

[@bootskanchelsis3337]

bulll Sh1t ...

[@ProfessorOfChaos]

Ban TIkTok now!!

[@Heywoodjablowme2]

Remember when banning TikTok was deemed racist and Xenophobic?