this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2023
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[โ€“] [email protected] 59 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Tiktok.

You said product, and I mean this legitimately. Not because of meme hate or hating on what is trendy, but because it is and has been a tool of the CCP. This isn't really in question, and it was one of the first large platforms to entirely erase the idea of a timeline and fully devote itself only to a algorithm feed. One that bytedance has put their finger on the scales of many times.

The effect this has is hard to quantify, but the postmortem on it is going to be incredible as we unpack exactly how much this influenced the trends and politics among zoomers, and to what extent.

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's a reason the algorithm is different in China.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

This is the part that gets me. In China kids are educational content and are blocked during certain times of the day.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

But they said unknown threat. Everyone knows that TikTok is a tool for CCP spying and propaganda, but somehow most of us don't care.

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

every social/digital media platform is leveraged for spying and propaganda. if you didn't want to be spied on you'd throw your whole damn phone away. it's just the way shit is now. either accept that reality, ignore it, or become a hermit.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Other thing is also bad is not a good argument. You can reduce the amount of spying if you want to.

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

We're bombarded with propaganda 24/7 already.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

StumbleUpon didn't have a timeline. It was just an algorithm.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah but stumbleupon didn't send people down radicalized pipelines. Not all algorithms are bad, some are though.

[โ€“] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Have you used TikTok? - it's the only mainstream platform with freedom of speech and mostly free discussion.

Reddit was far, far worse with all the bots, shadow-banning, deleted comments, etc.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think using the term "free speech" in this context is correct since free speech doesn't extend to whether an app or website deletes your comments. Free speech just means the government won't reprimand you.

Tiktok definitely takes things down, and I'd say that algorithm has done more harm than good in how fast it radicalizes people.

[โ€“] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Radicalises" how?

Just because they disagree with you?

It's one of the few free forums, especially that is so large.

Just look at the Twitter files and Reveddit - they're far worse if you don't parrot the line of the US State Department.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The fact that you assume that the reason I used that word is because they disagree with me tells me you arent coming into this discussion with respect, so I'm going to have to-respectfully-decline to elaborate as I'd rather not get into the nuance of this topic with someone who evidently already has their mind made up.