TikTok Raises National Security Concerns in Congress as Schumer, Cotton Ask for Federal Review (washingtonpost.com) 32
Two senior members of Congress, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), asked U.S. intelligence officials late Wednesday to determine whether the Chinese-owned social-networking app TikTok poses "national security risks." From a report:
In a letter to Joseph Maguire, the director of national intelligence, the lawmakers questioned TikTok's data-collection practices and whether the app adheres to censorship rules directed by the Chinese government that could limit what U.S. users see. TikTok, which provides users a feed of short videos, has become wildly popular among teenagers worldwide. "With over 110 million downloads in the U.S. alone, TikTok is a potential counterintelligence threat we cannot ignore," wrote Schumer and Cotton, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee. "Given these concerns, we ask that the Intelligence Community conduct an assessment of the national security risks posed by TikTok and other China-based content platforms operating in the U.S. and brief Congress on these findings."
The real reason for the anger (Score:2, Funny)
The Olds can't handle vertical video being popular, and want to quash it at all costs.
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My eye site is wide not tall.
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Your vision range is roughly circular, actually.
Whether or not something should be shot in wide, tall, square, triangular, or whatever else depends on the content.
Consider this amazing video: https://twitter.com/Emergidoc/... [twitter.com]
If it were shot wide instead of tall it wouldn't be nearly as awesome.
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More a horizontal oval, wouldn't you say?
What it definitely is NOT is a vertical rectangle.
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Mathematics itself only deals with straight lines. This is why TVs and the like are designed the way they are. Could you imagine how difficult it would be to roll out a round TV/monitor?
s/windows/bubbles/g
You insensitive clod! (Score:2)
My television screen is round.
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Ok, I stand corrected. The old style TVs were indeed round, and worked by way of a tube. But I was talking about today's screens.
Thanks for correcting me
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Really? So y=x^2 represents a straight line? Or x^2 + y^2 = 4? Pretty sure both of those are mathematics....
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Come to me when, mathematically, you can tell me an EXACT circumference of a circle.
Today's mathematics cannot land on a single (finite) number, because the method to, mathematically, deal with circles, is itself an infinite number. Yet, the circle does have a finite circumference. Today's mathematics, when dealing with circles, can only get you very very very very close to the correct number. And it does this by a method that uses an extremely large count of single straight lines to make extremely thin
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Riemann would like to have a word with you.
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We'd have had many really good conversations, and may not have agreed on everything.
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Re:The real reason for the anger (Score:5, Insightful)
The Olds can't handle vertical video being popular, and want to quash it at all costs.
Because anyone who films vertical video is a heathen and should rightfully be eradicated from existence.
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The real question is why the phone doesn't fix it. It's got plenty of megapixels. Why is there no option to have it shoot wide even when I hold the phone in the most comfortable orientation? What year is it?
I'm turning it vertical because I want it vertical (Score:2)
If I want it horizontal, it can turn it horizontal. No recent phone is comfotable to hold, in any position. They are all as retarded as the vertical video blind hater meme religion.
Irrational religious idiocy. (Score:2)
Horizontal screens only have ONE single actual use case: Movies and movie-like games.
In ALL other cases, a horizontal screen is the superior and most reasonable choice.
This vertical video hate thing is just a meme and nobody even known why he actually follows it. You can tell: Because the more ignorant somebody is, the more "firm" is "belief" is, and the more *emotional* his arguments.
Parent poster is a perfect example.
Economy (Score:1)
The threat of idle workers entranced by epoxy tabletops and dancing teens cannot be overstated. Productive economic output will plummet because of TikTok.
Curious as to that particular country (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm curious why any person would want to send the vast amounts of data that TikTok collects to that particular country? If say TikTok was developed and serviced in Denmark, it would be a different thing, but China?! That's like one out of maybe a dozen or so countries I explicitly wouldn't want massive amounts of data explicitly going to for any particular reason. I get that with how data centers are distributed that you can never be exactly sure where your data is being warehoused, but TikTok very clearly and very explicitly sends your data straight to China for whomever to consume with "Chinese regulations" being the safeguard here.
Curiosity colved (Score:2)
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Exactly. How could anybody be surprised about this?
oh noes! China is watching us watch silly videos! (Score:1)
Call in the marines!
Thank God there's nothing important going on in the world.
Don't Worry, Stay Calm! (Score:1)
I weep for our future (Score:3)
Oh, when will we learn to stop using tools created by dictatorial, totalitarian nations and switch to those created by despotic, authoritarian corporations?
Another federal investigation? (Score:2)
Either pass a law similar to the GDPR that says all foreign countries operating software in the US must operate on US based servers and may not export the data.
Pass a law that says all software must clearly state where the servers are operating out of IN the original description or startup screen (not buried in the EULA) and what country's laws it abides by.
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DoD Youth (Score:1)
Concerns about who controls media meddling (Score:3)
Since TikTok is effectively a TV channel which is curated. ie "censorship rules directed by the Chinese government that could limit what U.S. users see" then there is a danger that political views or politicians, that fit Chinese Gov agendas, will only be shown.
The media has had too much control over democracy in the west in the past.
That was considered acceptable because it was western controlled media.
When the media falls into the hands of a rival super power then that's not ok.
If a silly toy app can be a threat to your securit (Score:2)
... then either you never had security, ... or you are mentally ill and a pussy.
Seriously ... you say you are the greatest most powerful country in the world? Then act like it!
I've met little girls with less anxiety than you!
And so it should! (Score:1)
As a strong conservative male, it chills me to the bone to hear that the Chinese might have some influence on our media. Can we not legislate to ensure that our national media is controlled by a neutral, responsible and patriotic overlord such as Rupert Murdoch?