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Comment by radikalerludwig | Hacker News Reader

> a platform that is subject to the absolute control of a foreign government

I'm sure you would argue that Google, MS and Apple are completely independent of the US government.

I don't want to put words in your mouth but if you are implying that the US influence over Google, MS, and Apple is comparable to China's influence over TikTok and other Chinese companies then that is an utterly false equivalence. I don't have links but it is well established the role and influence CCP has in Chinese companies and US companies have gone to great legal lengths to restrict the US Government's involvement in certain areas like the fight over encryption.

>US companies have gone to great legal lengths to restrict the US Government's involvement in certain areas

Yeah, they spend a fortune on lobbying - nonetheless they are very compliant with the US "national security". Keep them downvotes coming, Snowden never blew a whistle.

I'm sure the government considers the years long ongoing battle between Apple and the FBI over device encryption to be "very compliant".

The issue is (as far as I know) the CCP has unfettered access to Chinese apps. On the other hand, the US government has to ask. While Google, MS, Apple, etc have all said "yes" plenty of times, they also have said "no" and are doing so more frequently as public opinion is changing on privacy. Literally the ability to say no is a big difference.

If I am wrong about the unfettered access, let me know.

The US has an independent judiciary which will rule on disputes between the government and Google/Apple/MS. China does not. It is really that simple.

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