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> Something I find odd is the focus on “data security” in basically alal media coverage and politician statements. Is that what’s at issue, or is it the influence the CCP has over people through tik tok?

Notice, for the sake of high level rationalism, that this is a false dichotomy.

CCP influence over TikTok is a subset of the bigger problems:

- TikTok, or the medium it operates on, is extremely persuasive, it's the most potent way to spread ideas from one mind to another (for example: the beliefs you hold about China's intents, which you do not actually possess knowledge of).

- The US government does not have a means to exert control over it like the other social media giants.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message



  >  it's the most potent way to spread ideas from one mind to another 
even more than facebook? any studies/links about that?


> even more than facebook?

Well, consider the capabilities of the two platforms, as well as the demographics of users, and so forth and so on.

> any studies/links about that?

Not that I know of, but I have a feeling these discussions have been held at very high levels of the government and various 3 letter agencies, resulting in the mass theatrical spectacle we saw in Congress the other day.....did you watch any of that? Is it not blatantly obvious that in this case, "democracy" is an illusion?


  > did you watch any of that?
i watched a little bit of it

  > Is it not blatantly obvious that in this case, "democracy" is an illusion?
which part specifically gave that impression?


The part where the conversation format, participants, and content was clearly not at a level appropriate for a matter of this importance. High school kids could do MUCH better than what we saw there. If corporations were run as incompetently as much of the government, they'd get crushed by competitors.

Maybe our government needs some competition.




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