20 Comments
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Joy in HK's avatar

Just when you think the last mask has dropped, when the final hypocrisy has been exposed, we learn, yet again, the depravity of our government has no bounds, and no level below it will not eagerly sink to.

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Jonathan Williams's avatar

It's such a stupid and transparent way to yet again undermine confidence in The Biden Administration and our government as a whole!

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Anne's avatar

Even funnier, those "equivalent" platforms are American owned and have a long history of censorship in favor of the US imperial machine (post about Palestine being suppressed, Zionist posts being boosted, etc.).

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Larez121's avatar

👆🏼💯💯‼️

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Trillnor's avatar

This whole idea that the Chinese spying on us is the real danger when we have Zuckerberg and Musk over here is hilarious (because what else can I do but laugh at all of this stupid at this point).

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Larez121's avatar

EXACTLY.

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Joy Ann Bonham's avatar

They would happily share our info for a price, right?

Btw, it’s not just about what the Chinese can learn, they targeted government employees phones with a virus using Tiktok, including the VP. That is why it got banned.

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Todd's avatar

"quit your whining and make do"

Soon as I read this, the first thing that leapt to mind was Biden in the run up to his (first?) presidential term arguing with a worker at some facility he was swanning around in:

"Aw, come on!"

(Oops! Misremembered: He told the guy he was full of shit.)

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Jonathan Williams's avatar

Great job, yet again, Mr. Klippenstein!

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Maddie's avatar

As a non-US citizen, it feels like the first amendment only really applies to the people the government deems worthy. That any American can believe that their government is having their best interest at heart is almost Stockholm syndrome.

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Clif Brown's avatar

Hypocrisy rules! The biggest example is Presidential support of Zionism which has no use for liberty and justice for all, but as you and Glenn Greenwald continually reveal, the guiding principle in DC is "watch what I say, not what I do"

This certainly applies to business, which we are to believe is fully capable of regulating itself (!), but also of the wealthy in general whose public image hides who knows what. Above all the secret of success is in who you know, not what you do on your own.

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Maier Amsden's avatar

So **every** aspect of the Tiktok ban is hypocritical AF - just like American foreign policy.

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Laurie Underwood's avatar

Don't worry Maier, all they want is to use TikTok tell users about State Department activities. I am sure they mean well. 🙄🙄

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Susan Becraft's avatar

Why does none of this surprise me? Thank you for further reinforcing my cynicism, Ken.

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Hector Soler's avatar

Red notes ,everyone from tic tac is immigrated to Red notes people are calling them self refugees from tictac

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Hector Soler's avatar

Ken there a new app that is just like tictac is call red notes so download it

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Joy Ann Bonham's avatar

I don’t have a problem with this. Obviously, you do not remember WW2. Look up Tokyo Rose. Why, if we are at war, would we want to deprive ourselves of a proper defensive strategy?

Of equal importance is that the rest of the world will still be using Tiktok. There is a lot of information about activities that the State department needs to know about on the platform, like the war in Ukraine. Sometimes things are not just about you. The government has needs that you do not.

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Rachel Baldes's avatar

They spent years teaching people my age that social media WASN'T protected speech because it operates on a platform owned by others. It seems like now they're claiming something different? But not really. No, TikTok isn't unique and foundational to our protected speech. That's not incorrect, none of this technology is protected speech. Anyone fooling themselves otherwise just hasn't differentiated from the current mores of its owner/operators. What the State is doing here with the carve-out is breathtaking in its gross hypocrisy. As if we would have failed to have intelligence on any social media platform, covertly. Is the loophole so VOA can finally build their following? I really don't understand the logic other than looking like assholes.

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Marian Gillis's avatar

Lots of people from the US and China have been chatting. e.g. What do you pay for rent, relative to your salary.

We are always told that the Chinese people have no agency. That the heavy hand if the federal government censures them. Not a China booster. But, what is happening in the US?

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Joy Ann Bonham's avatar

Folks … listen up! The Chinese used TikTok to load a virus onto cell phones. They targeted the VP, CEOs and other important people. The app cannot be trusted. That is why it is banned. I really don’t believe the US government cares if the Chinese knows your sister married an AH.

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