Comment by rayiner

Comment by rayiner a day ago

8 replies

> In a more functional democracy we would see that mass data collection of any sort, by any company (foreign or domestic), is a national security risk.

You obviously don't mean "democracy," but some other word. We don't see mass data collection as a problem because most Americans don't care about privacy. The only reason this Tik Tok thing is even registering is because of the treat of China, which Americans do care about.

34679 a day ago

There's nothing preventing China from buying mass data from Facebook or one of the many data brokers. This is about censorship and the ability to control public narratives.

  • bl4kers a day ago

    You're falsely equating mass data. If anyone can buy the data from brokers then it's effectively public and could be weaponized by anyone. If TikTok collects their own data and doesn't sell it, then it's not public and can be weaponized exclusively by the Chinese government. And that's separate even from algorithm manipulation, which is another liability that's difficult to catch & prove definitively.

  • mgraczyk a day ago

    Yes there is. Facebook has never done anything like this and never would, that's what is preventing it.

    • 34679 a day ago

      Facebook has never sold user data?

      LOL

      https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46618582

      • mgraczyk a day ago

        Do you think your link shows that Facebook sold user data? Did you notice that Facebook wasn't paid and that the users specifically consented?

      • senordevnyc a day ago

        "We have to seriously challenge the claim by Facebook that they are not selling user data," commented Damian Collins MP, chair of the UK Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. "They may not be letting people take it away by the bucket load, but they do reward companies with access to data that others are denied, if they place a high value on the business they do together. This is just another form of selling."

        Not defending what FB did in your example, but when you have to start redefining terms in order to make your argument, you're on shaky ground.