Rubio, Gallagher are introducing legislation to ban TikTok from use in the US | Hacker News Reader

Rubio, Gallagher are introducing legislation to ban TikTok from use in the US

bloomberg.com

44 pointsmfiguiere22 comments

So the USA will build its own Great Firewall? [1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Firewall

Is it a really a firewall if you shut down a company that is spying on US citizens for the CCP though? One that has been given multiple chances and hints (warnings) to disconnect from the CCP?

Yes.

You realize the entire argument for balkanizing the internet is that the US uses it as a platform for spying + propaganda and has more resources than most of its geopolitical rivals?

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna44595

I'm doubtful it will go that far. My guess would be forcibly removing them from the appstore and having ISPs delist the domain. That's enough to break the network effect; I don't think enough users are going to sideload/customize DNS for creators to bother making content for it.

> legislation which would ban TikTok ... from operating in the United States

What exactly does that mean? The federal government blocking a particular website or app would be unprecedented and would face tons of legal challenges, so based on the wording I wonder if this blocks particular business operations?

I can't find the legislative text anywhere - "are introducing" may mean it hasn't been introduced, or perhaps doesn't even exist, yet.

I would imagine dissolving their corporate charter, seizing the domain, and looting the HQ for evidence before putting the company into chapter 7 but that's all speculation.

This discourse around TikTok is so strange.

On the one hand, they've beat the major players for attention addiction machines (or are in the process of doing so). On the other, they are a CCP plot to control the American public.

So there is at least two dimensions by which people in the US are hostile to this company. Makes me think regulation is more likely in this case.

Anyone has a text of the bill?

Senator Rubio is also part of the IPAC (Interparliamentary Alliance on China): https://ipac.global/#team

Not sure what all they've done so far but it seems like they have support from Asia/EU/AUKUS.

Interesting to talk about but there's many steps from a bill that someone SAYS they will introduce, to passing it, to President signing to enforcement.

If they let YouTube in China, …

If not ban is the only option.

Fair.

I remember when the orange dude said tik tok was a National Security issue and everyone lost their cotdamn mind. I'm glad to see there is progress being made. Better late than never I guess.

Yea strange, same thing when he warned Germany of Russian oil/gas dependence. The entire world mocked him.

NYT wrote a whole thing about how banning Tiktok would hurt creators and advertisers: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/02/style/tiktok-ban-threat-t...

Probably because of all the dumb things he said around that statement drowning out the bits and pieces that might have made some sense. It's certainly his fault, he's the one spewing garbage 24/7.

Totally, I wouldn’t defend what you said, but it is good to reflect back on the objectively good calls and decisions.

So what you're saying is that you think journalism is nothing more than untangling the confidence game and reacting to rather than trying to verify claims?

There wasn't much to verify as far as I can remember.

It doesn't mean this is much better. This article doesn't contain any specific justification. And it sounds like they actually just concentrate on tiktok ownership rather than on behaviour and on genetic framework for limiting influence.

This is just "someone crossed the line far enough, let's block them and wait for someone else to cross the same line".

No we didn't, I said at the time "even a broken clock..." and did most of my privacy/security aware friends.

WeChat is the bigger threat as it gives the CCP direct leverage over it's userbase. Everyone forgot about that though since it doesn't affect anybody outside the sinosphere.

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