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Social Networks Government

TikTok Pulls Out of Hong Kong (techcrunch.com) 41

AmiMoJo quotes TechCrunch: TikTok announced that it would pull out of Hong Kong, which is facing an unprecedented wave of control from the Beijing government after the promulgation of the national security law. "In light of recent events, we've decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong," said a TikTok spokesperson. The company declined further comment on the decision...

ByteDance, founded by Chinese serial entrepreneur Zhang Yiming, has been working to disassociate TikTok from its Chinese ownership and Beijing censorship. Efforts have ranged from keeping an overseas data center for TikTok that's supposedly out of reach by the Chinese authority, giving outside experts a glimpse into its moderation process, through to hiringDisney's Kevin Mayer as the app's new global face.

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TikTok Pulls Out of Hong Kong

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  • by weilawei ( 897823 ) on Saturday July 11, 2020 @04:36PM (#60287206)

    Purely virtue signaling, as they're still owned by the same people.

    • Reputation management is big business, very profitable

    • by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

      Incorrect. It's simply a recognition of a fact that Hong Kong is becoming internal Chinese market rather than an external non-Chinese one. ByteDance's TikTok operates outside of China. Douyin is the equivalent ByteDance product for internal Chinese market.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Is that how it works, once an American always an American and nothing you do can ever absolve you of that crime? Americans are personally responsible for everything their government does and when dealing with them you should treat them as if they were personally there flying those drones and torturing those prisoners?

      There is a word for that kind of attitude.

  • Always infected by the CCP. Only fucking self-absorbed idiots would see through this attempt to save their business. TikTok is part of the commuist regime, plain and simple. Using it is basically supporting communism as well as giving in to those pieces of shit.

    It should be outright banned. Blocked on all networks, removed from all devices.
    • by DogDude ( 805747 ) on Saturday July 11, 2020 @05:23PM (#60287306)
      Using it is basically supporting communism

      Senator McCarthy? The 1950's called, and they want their scare-mongering back.
      • by ravenshrike ( 808508 ) on Saturday July 11, 2020 @05:41PM (#60287338)

        Or you could look at any competent analysis of the code used and realize the entire purpose of the app is to both spy on as much as possible while obfuscating both the spying itself and the places it sends that information to.

        • Or you could look at any competent analysis of the code used and realize the entire purpose of the app is to both spy on as much as possible while obfuscating both the spying itself and the places it sends that information to.

          You mean like what the CIA was caught doing with that company headquartered in Switzerland?

        • by DogDude ( 805747 )
          Or you could look at any competent analysis of the code used and realize the entire purpose of the app is to both spy on as much as possible while obfuscating both the spying itself and the places it sends that information to.

          I'm confused. How is that different than any other "smart" phone app, and what does it have to do with Communism?
          • Other major apps(ignoring various malware and scams) dont collect nearly as much information and contain little to no internal countermeasures to actively interfere with attempts to identify the location they send information to or exactly what information is being sent.

      • Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)

        by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Saturday July 11, 2020 @05:43PM (#60287344)
        Comment removed based on user account deletion
        • Ya know it always amazes me how many snowflakes rush to defend the CCP

          It's rarely an advantage to have people within your country examine the other side too closely. You don't want them drawing comparisons to home. A nice soundbite is just the right amount of focus for manipulating a population.

        • by Wolfier ( 94144 ) on Sunday July 12, 2020 @02:11AM (#60288518)

          This. If I it can have more than 5 points and if I could, I would upvote it +100.

          Also, TikTok did not entirely pull out - it was something more sinister - it replaced the TikTok app with the Mainland Chinese censored version. This way they can continue to comply with CCP requirements while pretending otherwise.

        • by Anonymous Coward

          Maybe because you're a moron, and equate two things that aren't the same. Either that or you're just ignorant of history.

          The deaths under Mao, the vast majority (98% of deaths) was from the GLF which was due to mistake and confluence of other events due to weather, etc. Mao had tried to increased agricultural growth as quickly as possible because he had to pay off USSR loans that were given to start the heavy industry sector, and pay for weapons that USSR sold to China to use during the Korean war, that U

        • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          Explain how using Tiktok is supporting communism.

          What is happening in Hong Kong is awful and I'm glad that the UK is trying to help, but deleting the Tiktok app is not going to make any difference any more than throwing away your iPhone will.

          • I guess you weren't aware that Foxconn is a Taiwanese company?
            • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

              Most of the manufacturing is done at the Foxxcon factory in China.

              • And the profits - all flow back to Taiwan. The corporate tax rate in Taiwan is 20%, and it's 23% in China - they receive payments all through Taiwan, and move just enough over to China to cover costs. That money is made in Taiwan - not China.
      • The Uyghurs called and want to be release from the concentration camps.
        or for darker snark
        They also want their organs back.

        Xi has taken the CCP back to hardline practices. Tictok will be under CCP control as long as owners/workers are within the reach of the CCP.
    • Always infected by the CCP. Only fucking self-absorbed idiots would see through this attempt to save their business. TikTok is part of the commuist regime, plain and simple. Using it is basically supporting communism as well as giving in to those pieces of shit. It should be outright banned. Blocked on all networks, removed from all devices.

      That might work in some countries, but I'm (rather parochially) assuming that you are referring to the United States, Since this site is mostly america. How would you suggest this would work in the United States? Short of sanctions of the company, I can't see any way for the United States to mandate a ban. Unless there was a law that implemented a "National Security Concern" on digital applications, which would be MASSIVELY Orwellian.

    • Always infected by the CCP. Only fucking self-absorbed idiots would see through this attempt to save their business. TikTok is part of the commuist regime, plain and simple. Using it is basically supporting communism as well as giving in to those pieces of shit.

        It should be outright banned. Blocked on all networks, removed from all devices.

      I Chinas communist regime has decided to cater to teenage girls I think the world will be better for it.

    • I am a cool girl I love hot boy:) My snap,skype and phone number at the link==>> https://kutt.it/v2gIMg [kutt.it]
  • by knarf ( 34928 ) on Saturday July 11, 2020 @05:00PM (#60287262)

    Zhang Yiming should have a chat with Pavel Durov (VKontakte, Telegram) to get some ideas on how to disassociate from his communist overlords. It'll probably involve selling off TikTok to Xi, setting up shop somewhere out of reach of the CCP and launching something new with the explicit intent of getting around whatever shenanigans the CCP is up to to get the Chinese population to be 'harmonious' - the quotes are important here. Just setting up a data centre outside of China does not mean anything, the code base needs to be taken out of reach of Xi and 'friends'.

  • Now that China has taken over the internet in Hong Kong they no longer need Tik Tok's services - so it's a double play.

  • by leathered ( 780018 ) on Saturday July 11, 2020 @06:48PM (#60287462)

    I block TikTok both at home and at work where I'm a sysadmin. Here is a list of all the domains to blacklist at your firewall/pi-hole etc: https://raw.githubusercontent.... [githubusercontent.com]

  • Many to go.

    Beijing just slit our throats, now the one thing we had that wasnâ(TM)t best age of the drug trade is bleeding out.

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