Pakistan Bans TikTok

Pakistan has banned popular short video app TikTok in the nation, citing circulation of videos that it deemed "immoral and indecent." From a report: The move comes months after the South Asian country raised serious concerns about the nature of some videos on ByteDance's app and the impact they posed on society. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the country's telecommunication authority, said in a statement Friday evening that despite the warnings and months-long time, TikTok "failed to comply with the instructions, therefore, directions were issued for blocking of TikTok application in the country." The authority had received a "number of complaints from different segments of the society" over the videos, it said.

Stuff that matters

[carcomp]

I'm not the target demographic of TikTok. I'm also old enough that I need to worry about the target demographic of TikTok messing up how I get to live my life in the future. I really don't know what to think about this, but overall I'm worried.

Re:Stuff that matters

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

It matters because there are good reasons to rein in Tik Tok (there's a much larger issue when you get parent companies involved...) but the Trump Administration screwed up the USA's chances of doing much about it. Basically some users on it embarrassed Trump at the Oklahoma Rally and he retaliated, turning it into a First Amendment issue that he's on the wrong side of.

Re:

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

Whatever you say, but Tik-Tok's still here and they have a decent legal defense when it flares up again.

Re:

[trawg]

What are the good reasons to rein in Tiktok? Maybe I'm missing something - I've never used it but isn't it just a platform for people to post videos in the hope they go viral?

I've seen vague mentions of people worried China is using it to brainwash children (no evidence). I've seen some concerns about the usual USA / China trade war stuff (American apps aren't allowed in China so why allow theirs, kind of thing, which makes sense from a trade view I guess, if not a free speech view).

But I feel like I've see

Publisher denies being publisher

[nagora]

No one believes them.

Why they banned app, not video?

[corfuel]

Why they banned app, not video?

So is this because of immorality or gov criticism?

[Somervillain]

So...the Khan Ministry doesn't like critical videos on a medium they cannot control? These days, I never trust it when governments ban general use communication platforms on the basis of decency. Nudity and pornography is already banned on the platform.

Do they want to stop "lewd" dancing?...or free communication among the citizens to criticize the government?

Re:

[Eunuchswear]

Do they want to stop "lewd" dancing?...or free communication among the citizens to criticize the government?

Dunno. Does Donald think TikTok is an arm of the Chinese communist party or is he angry that kids made fun of him?

Trump didn't like being embarassed

[Somervillain]

Dunno. Does Donald think TikTok is an arm of the Chinese communist party or is he angry that kids made fun of him?

I know the Republicans have been towing the line well and presenting a unified front, but I don't see a threat in TikTok. Seems like a waste of time, so I don't care if the gov and military have access to the data. Until we see actual credible harm coming from it, I am confident he is just angry because it's a nascent platform he cannot control and can crush, whereas, Google, Facebook and Twitter are too well established....or he's just really vindictive how they made him look stupid at that big rally he

Banned?

[nospam007]

WTF does that mean?
Did a religious nut say it's a sin?
Or something real?

Re:

[qzzpjs]

I think they can't handle all those cat videos.

Starts at the top

[cellocgw]

Religion-based governments FTW Rah! Yeah!

Which is to say, of course, hell no. They are the worst thing possible. And a society which supports a government of laws based on religion is doomed. This probably will include the USA.

Re:

[rtb61]

It depends on the religion matey. My religion, three words, Freedom, Democracy and Justice and my God the totality of existence (make of that what you will) and when it comes to the religion, I need all of you for the democracy part, else it does not work. I do not need many of you for the justice part, the system of justice we created through the democratic process and Freedom even fewer still.

I have commandments as well, just three.
Have as much fun as possible whilst causing the least amount of harm poss

Re:

[rtb61]

OK for freedom I just need me, I am free as I choose to be. I am free to choose not to consume life but I would die, for every breath I take draws is microbial existence which I consume else it would consume me, long after I had died of suffocation. I also preserve the existence of the cells that constitute my carcase, I have a responsibility for it as well, all life counts even your own beyond your quantum conscious self as it turns out a being of time, we are all time.

Decadent Western Media

[Gabest]

Destroying our culture with liberal ideas.

"segments"

[v1]

complaints from different segments of the society

In this context, "different segments" usually means "the wealthy / powerful / government". They don''t like you educating the people in places like that, it loosens their grip of control over their people.

Sounds all too familiar.... "Hong Kong teacher loses job for asking students 'what is freedom of speech?'
https://www.independent.co.uk/... [independent.co.uk]

They call it "protection", and it is, but It's not the citizens that are being protected.

Pakistan is a funny combination

[BAReFO0t]

Fundamentalist Islamist and America's dog (UK) 's dog at the same time.

China

[mackil]

There is more to the story here I think. To better control their populace? probably... but Pakistan has been getting cozy with China ever since the border dispute with India. This might signal a beginning of a change of that policy, since I can't imagine that will make the CCP happy.