Should TikTok be banned?

[The Reformed American Republic]

Since China has an influence on Hollywood movies, banning tik tok is not really going to help curb Chinese propaganda all that much. All that would be banned is usage of a stupid app, and the people using it would find something else to do that is equally stupid.

[The Alma Mater]

Neopets is still a thing? Wasn't that the one owned by Scientologists for a while?

It's kept alive for nostalgia reasons by an older player base like this place is, but is also trying to rebrand itself to attract new people, including launching a TV show and etc. Some players there are holdovers from Neopets' heydey in early 2000s to its height during Viacom era which was until 2014.

Yes, Neopets was owned by Scientology for a time, but it transferred to Viacom and then to JumpStart and now to the current Chinese company owner.

"Alive" is relative. There are less than 10 games left to play (unless one enjoys the php stuff) since they never managed to transfer them from flash to html5.

And Neopets was not only scientology, but is the site that invented "immersive advertising". So hate them for that.

If you want more nostalgia - Runescape still exists. And the retro version is more popular than the "modern" one.

[Sherechia]

No

Is it full of CCP propaganda? yes and I see nothing wrong with that. Propaganda is everywhere, it just happens that the ones in TikTok tend to be pro-CCP.
Is it full of questionable content? yes and I also see nothing wrong with that. Every single mainstream social media has questionable content. If one wants to enjoy that content it's their choice.
Do they have offensive/discriminatory content? Yes, and so is every mainstream site, by that definition we should ban all social media and well... you know where this is going.
Do they steal your data? yes, look if the Americans can have my data why can't the Chinese?

and I say this as a person who hates the CCP and their atrocious human rights record and as a person who never used TikTok.

If someone wants to use TikTok let them be. By banning TikTok we are lowering ourselves to the level of the CCP government. We shouldn't micromanage people's life choices like this...

[North Sonovia]

Since China has an influence on Hollywood movies, banning tik tok is not really going to help curb Chinese propaganda all that much. All that would be banned is usage of a stupid app, and the people using it would find something else to do that is equally stupid.

It's very probable that the next thing TikTokers would move to would be a platform with equally terrible regulations, give or take but not by much.

It's also very likely that the TikTokers would move to a platform better at regulating and censoring rule-breaking, discriminatory, obscene, offensive or law-breaking content.

I'd still take my chances.

(besides, banning TikTok is absolutely based)

[Lady Victory]

CCP spyware should be banned, yes. This seems like it should be common sense.

[Ifreann]

CCP spyware should be banned, yes. This seems like it should be common sense.

By that logic you should support a ban of literally the entire internet.

[The Novakian Empire]

I feel like this entire discussion is incredibly stupid. Even if Tiktok is some kind of crazy Chinese spyware collecting personal data, don't you think they were already doing that? There's no way this isn't (hypothetically) the only avenue for the CCP to gain access to people's information. You're simply not going to be able to avoid it overly much, at this point.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Personally I would just like to see a strong legal framework for stopping apps collecting pretty much any personal info.

[Deniria]

Why are we allowing a country like China; one of the most notorious human rights violators on the face of the Earth; to market in first world countries a cellphone app viewed by impressionable kids?

At best, it further funds that fucked up fascist dystopia. By rights there should be no trade with China in the first place.

At worst, it enables China to smuggle low-key, subtle propaganda messages into kids' minds. How do we know the kinds of speech that passes for "progressive" on TikTok wasn't a ploy by China to make progressives look irrational so kids would be more comfortable with China deregulating the workplace to the point where citizens die in industrial accidents by the hundreds at a time? How do we know what passes for "anti-eugenics" speech on TikTok wasn't a ploy by China to make anti-eugenics activists look irrational so kids would be more comfortable with Xi Jinping having Muslim women forced to abort? Why else do you think kids still buy their t-shirts from China? Why not ban TikTok to be on the safe side?

When we speak of "freedom of movement," that freedom doesn't cross international boundaries. Try to cross international boundaries illegally, and you will be thrown into some of the most notoriously cruel prisons in the first world.

When we speak of "the right to bear arms," that right doesn't cross international boundaries. Try to smuggle guns across international boundaries, your sorry ass is going to the slammer.

When we speak of the "free market," that freedom doesn't cross international boundaries. Trump's tariffs against international trade didn't cost him the right-wing vote; predominantly of the same voters who were otherwise such market-worshippers they voted Romney the previous time.

So why does freedom of speech include the right of countries that don't believe in freedom of speech to market cellphone apps to impressionable kids in the first world?

Y E S

[The Black Forrest]

Maybe I am a little too simple by thinking if it annoys you; don’t watch it?

[Sherechia]

Maybe I am a little too simple by thinking if it annoys you; don’t watch it?

I... strongy agree with you

[Sincluda]

To expand, these are users. Not the app itself. Like, geez, just ban the users, I feel like y'all are really clawing for something, anything here.

Oh, come on. I don't care how saddening it would be to a small part of America if the government outright banned TikTok. The increasingly toxic platform has more haters than likers or lovers, when you ignore the neutral. The platform is toxic, includes boneheaded people licking toilet seats in the name of trying to catch COVID-19, a TikToker baselessly started the rumor of Kanye West and Jeffree Star hooking up (and people believed it!), and on top of that, some guy on Youtube made a 17-minute long compilation of TikTokers mocking disabled people. Five minutes in, I thought the video would be over by then.

I'm not saying there's no good content on TikTok. But you'd have to conduct a very thorough search throughout all of the pointless and some plain disgusting uploads to find all of the good videos.

The country would be more of a pleasant one to live in if we overall just banned TikTok.

This logic applies to literally every social media platform.

[Caleonia]

Oh, come on. I don't care how saddening it would be to a small part of America if the government outright banned TikTok. The increasingly toxic platform has more haters than likers or lovers, when you ignore the neutral. The platform is toxic, includes boneheaded people licking toilet seats in the name of trying to catch COVID-19, a TikToker baselessly started the rumor of Kanye West and Jeffree Star hooking up (and people believed it!), and on top of that, some guy on Youtube made a 17-minute long compilation of TikTokers mocking disabled people. Five minutes in, I thought the video would be over by then.

I'm not saying there's no good content on TikTok. But you'd have to conduct a very thorough search throughout all of the pointless and some plain disgusting uploads to find all of the good videos.

The country would be more of a pleasant one to live in if we overall just banned TikTok.

This logic applies to literally every social media platform.

What’s the point of the internet at that point besides being a glorified mobile dictionary/newspaper/television/game console if you aren’t able to communicate via social media?

[North Sonovia]

Maybe I am a little too simple by thinking if it annoys you; don’t watch it?

I... strongy agree with you

I also strongy agree with him.

[Ethel mermania]

This logic applies to literally every social media platform.

What’s the point of the internet at that point besides being a glorified mobile dictionary/newspaper/television/game console if you aren’t able to communicate via social media?

Porn

[Whitemore]

What’s the point of the internet at that point besides being a glorified mobile dictionary/newspaper/television/game console if you aren’t able to communicate via social media?

Porn

Something everyone can agree on!

[Goraria]

Tik tok is ruining the brains of Chinese people with its horrible format, so you should be happy about it. All it shows is people acting stupid. You just hate it because its from China.

I hate it because of its cringyness not that it’s from China.

[Bear Stearns]

At this point American social media is worse than anything the chinese can think up

[Sincluda]

At this point American social media is worse than anything the chinese can think up

Was gonna make an NSG joke, but it’s Australian, so.

[Engadine Mcdonalds 1997]

Alright, so when it's accusing China of 'brainwashing' legitimate discourse is allowed, but when a western nation acts in an identical way through films, news stations, video games, advertising and the legal system it's just a bunch of doofuses going "ha ha, this guy thinks cia did everything, ha ha'. Seems about right, the west truly is the best at propaganda

[The Imagination Animals]

I have to be honest with you: In my opinion, TikTok is one of the most toxic apps in current day social media. I notice that there seem to be a lot of chaos, including harassments and bullying of Gacha users, and a "SpongeBob Cult" which I felt was definitely not necessary. There are also game wars, hate pages, and even controversy over rappers such as XXXTENTACION and Juice WRLD.

In terms of the amount of chaos, yeah. In terms of creativity, not really.

This is just my opinion.

[Sincluda]

I have to be honest with you: In my opinion, TikTok is one of the most toxic apps in current day social media. I notice that there seem to be a lot of chaos, including harassments and bullying of Gacha users, and a "SpongeBob Cult" which I felt was definitely not necessary. There are also game wars, hate pages, and even controversy over rappers such as XXXTENTACION and Juice WRLD.

In terms of the amount of chaos, yeah. In terms of creativity, not really.

This is just my opinion.

Welcome to the entire internet. Would you like a side of Twitter with that?

[The Imagination Animals]

Welcome to the entire internet. Would you like a side of Twitter with that?

Oh yeah. I know why Twitter has its flaws, but I'm not going to say it in here.

[Cerata]

best social media platform boblox

haha m e m e

[The Alma Mater]

I have to be honest with you: In my opinion, TikTok is one of the most toxic apps in current day social media. I notice that there seem to be a lot of chaos, including harassments and bullying of Gacha users, and a "SpongeBob Cult" which I felt was definitely not necessary. There are also game wars, hate pages, and even controversy over rappers such as XXXTENTACION and Juice WRLD.

In terms of the amount of chaos, yeah. In terms of creativity, not really.

This is just my opinion.

Do note that other users will be shown vastly different videos and have no idea what you are talking about