this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2024
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Privacy

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[–] [email protected] 64 points 10 months ago (2 children)

That lines up with everything I've read about TikTok being the worst of the spyware social media apps. Unfortunately most online discussion about that subject gets filled with "Whatabout America spying?" posts trying to normalize the acceptance of everybody doing it. The discussions should be about how TikTok is the worst AND Facebook is close on their tails for the race of spying. All of the spyware social media apps are a bad thing.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I'm always thinking about Chinese intellegency agency thinking 10 years ago: "How can we create a spyware that everyone will use so we can collect all the data we want without too much troubles?". Then they looked at Facebook doing the same for profit and they understood that all they have to do is to create a well designed social media app and make it so trendy that people will be diverted enough to not think about the spying issue. And then they fucking nailed it, it worked so well, I'm impressed. The average people do happily through away their private life for a shot of well crafted trendy entertainment everyday. All the revelations about spying didn't stop the growth one bit.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

Whatabout America spying?

nobody's trying to normalize that. Just calling out the blatant hypocrisy. These social media companies started in US long ago and it has more data than you can possibly imagine, People suddenly mad when a foreign company starts doing something nefarious is on brand for people who want to point fingers at everyone else but themselves.

Facebook started when https was very rare, browsers sent login authentication in plain text, internet explorer was still popular and they probably exploited way more vulnerabilities that Tiktok ever did. Facebook, Google, Twitter tracked users through share buttons on websites. Everyone installed multiple Internet explorer addons with nefarious permissions, malicious code without a single thought. Their owners are billionaires now, exploiting, tracking and selling your data to whoever pays best. It was all common knowledge.

Where were these concerns for a decade before tiktok even was a thought. If social media companies were held responsible for privacy of the users, when Facebook, twitter were gaining hold, Tiktok wouldn't even be able to follow on their footsteps.

I don't use Facebook anymore and never have used tiktok, but fuck all concern trolling once someone other takes your cake. You reap what you sow.

Stay mad tho

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Whatabout America spying?

nobody's trying to normalize that

Objectively false, seeing how Snowden lives in Russia, Assange is actively drugged and tortured, and Chelsea Manning was brainwashed/threatened and became an active NATO spokesperson (and a DJ, but that is just for optics).

The privacy invasion by Western governments and corporations is astronomically normalised amongst the masses, and anyone who does not participate in the digital data rape rituals is a weirdo heretic.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

You make a good point worth considering. For all non-USians/non-Chinese out there, all those social media giants are foreign corporations belonging to foreign powers.

The spying part of it is bad for the spying, not for who's doing it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

What the fuck are you talking about "Stay mad tho" ? It sounds like you agreed with what I said mostly. This shit is all bad, and that was my point.