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Apple pulls WhatsApp, Threads from China App Store following state order (techcrunch.com)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Apple has removed the Meta-owned end-to-end encrypted messaging app WhatsApp from its App Store in China following a government order citing national Meta-owned WhatsApp and Threads have been pulled from Apple's App Store in China following a government order citing national security concerns, Reuters reports.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

In the context of the US specifically, there’s definitely a difference in the eyes of the government itself between Tik Tok and other Western social media companies.

I’m all for much tighter privacy laws, but Tik Tok is absolutely worse than other sites (again from the US perspective).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Worse how? US users data is still for sale to anyone by US and non-US based data brokers. If the goal is to stop China getting user data, this ban fails to achieve that. It's a political theater, since being against China is a popular position at the moment.

That's the thing about privacy, you can't ban one company, but still allow others collect the same data and share with anyone they want. If data is available for sale, anyone can buy it.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If you can’t see the difference between a literal Chinese government controlled app vs other western social media companies from the perspective of the US government, you’re either being intellectually dishonest or not thinking this through.

I fully understand the privacy implications, so let me reiterate. From the perspective of the US government, a foreign owned platform is much riskier than a US one, EVEN THOUGH data brokers may be in use now. The US has more control over companies like FB and Twitter vs. Tik Tok.

Are you also complaining about targeted western company bans in China? Governments are going to move in their own best interests.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

It's you who are missing the point. The officially stated reason for the ban is China's access to the US users data. This ban doesn't solve the issue because western platforms/brokers are still able to sell the same data to China.

And yes, US is making a ban out of self-interest. It's just that interest is purely political and not based on policy or protecting US users.

And China bans all platforms that doesn't comply with their regulations. We might see it as censorship, but they are fair in how they apply it to everyone and not a single company.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

No need to take this discussion further if you think China’s approach is “fair”. China’s regulations are to allow them unfettered access to all data. I got it. US bad China good.

Have a good day.