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Valant0324 t1_j0wqrah wrote

"ban the use of the popular social media service TikTok on government-managed devices"

Before anyone gets too upset

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that_other_goat t1_j0wu9cq wrote

All social media should be banned on these devices.

Use it on your personal crap not your government issued crap!

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kgal1298 t1_j0x07hc wrote

Well I think some gov accounts use social media in general, but it definitely isn’t necessary for them to be on TikTok, but I’ll miss a few of them

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evil-rick t1_j0xe249 wrote

Apparently Utah’s government was a super popular account on tiktok. It feels like all they’re doing is isolating themselves from the youth vote, but now that I’ve looked into the “bipartisan” support, it’s just one democrat. Tiktok was largely quoted as the reason many zoomers were motivated to vote in the midterms, so a lot of this feels like an attempt to hinder the democratic vote.

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thoughtsarefalse t1_j0yfiwj wrote

Nah. Tiktok can backdoor send any users data to the chinese government if Xi asks them to. That’s a risk. Could tiktok itself be fine and dandy yeah sure, do i trust Xi at al? No i do not.

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evil-rick t1_j0yfm7p wrote

Lmao literally ALL social media sends your data to the government. ALL of it. You guys are eating that propaganda hard. The difference is the US is mad they don’t get it this time.

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_doppler_ganger_ t1_j0yqzu7 wrote

It isn't a ban on everyone's devices just government devices. I don't want a foreign government like China to have easy backdoor access into thousands of government devices. That's a huge and unnecessary security risk.

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thoughtsarefalse t1_j0z6eox wrote

Wrong government tho. The USA has a national interest in not letting china have certain info.

And again. I’m not worried about my info. I’m worried about government officials or their adjacent personell having identifying and location information sent to the chinese govt.

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u801e t1_j0yixia wrote

Two wrongs don't make a right.

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mahabraja t1_j0x45kr wrote

They do but why? There is not one social media outlet that is of even decent reputation. They are trendy sure, but nobody should be looking for nor expect any factual information from social media beyond opinion. It doesn't feel very official or respectable.

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BlindWillieJohnson t1_j0xqdvp wrote

You understand that Facebook and Twitter are good ways for government agencies to get engagement on otherwise ignored announcements, right?

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PattyMcFatty0 t1_j0x7xx8 wrote

I've seen people in Tik Tok comment sections of people talking about this news saying "They're trying to hide information from us."

I can't help but laugh.

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kgal1298 t1_j0xal53 wrote

Except they can still have Twitter and FB accounts so not really. They're just worried about China using TikTok since some reports came out saying that China was purposely tracking some government accounts.

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PattyMcFatty0 t1_j0xraa4 wrote

Just goes to show how addicted they are to tik tok. It's like they forget there's a whole wide web out with loads of hidden information and yet these people assume that tik tok, a place all about simplicity and "main ideas" is the place where you'll get the truth.

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tdt0005 t1_j0xn715 wrote

Why is that funny exactly? I understand the data concerns with China, but those in power are always trying to suppress knowledge. That’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s not necessarily what’s going on here, but I think it’s possible. Tiktok connects people face to face and has connected a lot of niche people together and better understand the people and world around them. Not everyone just uses it for whatever nonsense it’s stereotyped to be. Maybe that’s the case for 90% of users, but they are still aware of those who are using the platform to start realizing they aren’t crazy and it’s not just them.

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PattyMcFatty0 t1_j0xqkd0 wrote

An app which is already proven to have one of the most aggressive and obvious algorithms to find you what you like is not going to give you the truth, it's going to give you what you THINK is the truth. Every "news channel" I've found on the site usually chooses a daily thing to make a video on. Usually that video happens to always fit a specific narrative conservative or progressive because it's easier than making constant videos to ACTUALLY educate people about what they should know.

A lot of these also tend to cover topics that are trendy and would reach the widest audience. So a lot of smaller but still important things are lost or ignored because it's not important on tik tok to cover them.

Edit: It's also funny because it just shows how these news videos don't even tell people that this policy is for state employees only. It just shows that because of the compression it simplifies the news enough so that it's possible to come to a different conclusion than what is actually the truth.

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tdt0005 t1_j0zexa7 wrote

Got it. Powers that be definitely aren’t concerned with keeping us uninformed…

You’re right that you are very prone to confirmation bias. I can see how this might exacerbate the problem, but generally people are already confirming their own bias all the time. For those seeking to challenge their beliefs, you get exposed to all kinds of things. For instance I get lots of pro-Christian content but also athiest content.

My experience is I’ve found things most that changed my mind. It’s been instrumental in helping my mental health in the last 2 years and getting off of other social media. And lots of other people like me are worried about losing that community.

I understand this is only for govt employees, but I seem to remember Trump trying to outright ban it before I ever even downloaded it. It’s not unreasonable to be worried about it getting taken away completely.

Tiktok or no tiktok, we should always be suspicious of the governments motives. And the control of information and limiting interactions to keep us ignorant and happy in our own ecosystems is absolutely intentional and used against us.

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cunt_isnt_sexist t1_j0xdrkx wrote

Tiktok no, but FB and Twitter, yes. I work for a law firm that frequently has to access both of them for actual business needs, like contacting another company or joining a group that does communicate between multiple firms for litigation. It isn't the most ideal, but some small companies cannot afford larger programs to host chat/video meetings and do not have the IT staff in place to recommend better alternatives that are free.

Also, I'm IT within that firm and one thing that fails to be mentioned is how strict and monitored that stuff actually is these days. Lot of people will make comments about how "well my IT let's us do whatever we want". Sure. But that doesn't mean we don't know about it and we definitely wink wink, nudge nudge aren't capturing that traffic.

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Outlulz t1_j0xxlc3 wrote

What a brain dead take. Government is going to use what people want to use for communication. They want this information to be seen by as many eyes as possible.

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mahabraja t1_j0yr1d6 wrote

I'd imagine it seems braindead to anyone who wants their time on Facebook and Twitter. But I don't think you'd understand any of the names we call you.

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Outlulz t1_j0z3w0n wrote

They say smugly on a social media network.

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mahabraja t1_j10yvt8 wrote

So you look for credible news on Facebook, Twitter, and reddit? Wow, true genius at work right there. Reddit is purely for entertainment. I mean where else can we see just how stupid the average user is.

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Outlulz t1_j10zal6 wrote

News? We're talking about communications directly from government agencies unfiltered by any other source. Which you seem to have some problem with if it's not on a website or maybe an old timey radio broadcast or something.

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mahabraja t1_j110y8s wrote

Thars not news to you? Current events I. Your country as per your government is not news? You look for that on social media. Clearly you're a child.

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TheElderFish t1_j0xm8jc wrote

"Why would government agencies use the most popular social media app to try to reach constituents" is an interesting take.

What's "official" government supposed to be look like?

Take behavioral health services as an example, where the main philosophy for health promotion of services like suicide prevention, harm reduction, prevention and treatment, etc. is meeting people where they are at.

Sure, we can spend hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars trying to get people to come to us, or paper the city in outdated materials that no one will ever see.

Or we can encourage the use of government growing with the times and learning to use social media to promote services that our communities desperately need.

It's a valuable tool for encouraging community engagement, connecting people to opportunities where their voice matters, tables where they can advocate for their communities.

Feel free to present a more cost effective platform for engaging the community than social media and I'll implement it in my work tomorrow 🤣

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kgal1298 t1_j0xai1c wrote

True. The only accounts I would think are usefut are DOT accounts since they can report road closures in real time since at least in my state they definitely don't warn us any other way. I also like following USGS.

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thedrew t1_j0xmj1j wrote

Police Departments try to engage with citizens in this sort of way sometimes.

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Sea_Macaroon_6086 t1_j0yo32b wrote

Here's one example - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency uses social media to get news of food and product recalls out.

Because unless you work in the industry, you're not checking the CFIA website daily for news of recalls.

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Soylentgruen t1_j0xg7po wrote

TikTok is an intelligence asset, as are most open source platforms where people willfully divulge their locations and what they are doing.

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soldforaspaceship t1_j0xtyhq wrote

Honestly I have no social media apps on my work phone. I only have the apps I need for work. And I don't work for the government nor is there an unusual amount of confidentiality in what I do. I'm not privy to secrets or anything. I just think it's common sense to keep those separate.

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mishugashu t1_j0xyba7 wrote

Unless your job is to interface with social media, yes, I agree. No social media should be on a work device, much less a government device.

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sb_747 t1_j12a3nb wrote

You still need info from other agencies sometimes. And Twitter is unfortunately still very useful for that in a number of situations.

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mishugashu t1_j12nkkj wrote

That sounds like "interfacing with social media" to me, which would be exempt, as per my statement.

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nacholicious t1_j0x6ytg wrote

US three letter agencies have compliance from any US based social media both domestically or internationally, that's why they are OK with other social media

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serefina t1_j0xi9lp wrote

Government organizations have social media accounts, too.

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redditadmindumb87 t1_j0z9a4j wrote

If you banned social media apps on my govt issued electronics, I wouldn't be able to do my job.

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celebrityDick t1_j0wxmyx wrote

> All social media should be banned on these devices. > > Use it on your personal crap not your government issued crap!

But let's create multiple government agencies to police these bans

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Maindric t1_j0wzuht wrote

I mean, I get it, but it is the only way I can talk with my wife or anyone else outside of the work center on an as needed basis. So let's continue to just blocks the shady API calls. Also, it prevents PR personnel from doing their jobs if they're blocked.

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kittenpantzen t1_j0x1vp0 wrote

Is texting from your personal phone not an option? Or sending an email?

Edit: not being snarky. When I worked for my state govt in a different state, we were not allowed to use social media on state-provided devices, but nobody gaf what you did with your personal item as long as it wasn't something like taking photos of records or watching porn in the office or someshit.

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Maindric t1_j0xoggw wrote

Not when you work in a scif.

Edit: Email sometimes works except for attachments. Also, if you need a timely response email isn't super useful.

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kittenpantzen t1_j0xs0vl wrote

If you work in a scif, that is all the more reason why your government-issued device shouldn't have any non-gov-approved apps on it.

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Maindric t1_j0zd3hu wrote

Certain social media websites are approved, some are blocked. I only have it open for messenger and nothing else. Certainly a lot easier for my wife to get a hold of me than the one uncleared phone on a podium sending someone else to find me. There are strict rules on what we can and can't do. For example, webcams and microphones are hardware removed, USB ports are disabled. In other words, there is no chance of video or audio leaking out.

Also, 100% of executables are blocked as well, so no downloading even approved applications outside of the government package manager. When you're stuck in there for 12 hours, including your breaks, it helps a little as well.

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kittenpantzen t1_j0zm2ts wrote

That sounds more reasonable. And, I would assume that your messages are logged and at a minimum, spot audited. It still surprises me that they would let you use something like Messenger, where the company also has an archive of all messages sent/received.

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thought_first t1_j0ww5kd wrote

Shitty reporting is the best you can expect anymore. This isn't even news. Taxpayer funded, civil servant devices shouldn't have social apps on them.

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ReservoirGods t1_j0xwk37 wrote

I mean they do though because there are people who manage your state's health department Facebook and Twitter, the department of transportation socials notifying road closures, the library posting about events etc.

It's news in that the security concerns are being taken seriously enough for governments to blanket ban tik tok specifically.

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code_archeologist t1_j0x05ai wrote

A number of companies have made (or are contemplating) similar bans. If your phone is provided by the company or is a personal device that connects to the company communications then you cannot have TikTok installed on the device.

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Valant0324 t1_j0x093i wrote

No different from banning the meta ip address

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JennJayBee t1_j0xcivc wrote

Good luck to them with that one. I've heard all about the stuff they find on work devices— including government jobs— and TikTok would be among the least controversial things found on there.

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redditadmindumb87 t1_j0z97bh wrote

Seriously

I heard the US was banning tiktok and my first thought was "That's a clear violation of the 1st amendment and will be shut down hardcore"

Then I found out it was govt controlled phones and that's another thing. The Govt bans plenty of things on its network. Also companies too.

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Thanatosst t1_j0zdw2h wrote

How is banning a foreign company from having their service in the US a 1st Amendment violation?

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cred_it t1_j0x9blh wrote

Horrible, horrible article title. They’re only referring to government-owned devices, the source is an Apple device MDM provider, and they say 65% of devices managed by their public-sector customers. That’s light years away from “most access globally”

Not to mention that any government-affiliated IT admin should have implemented those blocks prior to initial device enrollment. SMH.

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First-Funnies t1_j0y2dje wrote

click bait. disinformation/misinformation/propaganda

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blumberg49 t1_j0zmvfx wrote

It's not disinformation /misinformation/propaganda if you just read the article. If you meet someone and they perpetuate stuff like this, cut them out of your life. It's your job to be well read, it's a media companies job to make money and because no one wants to pay a subscription for news or read news with lots of ads in it, clickbait titles are what drives views and makes sure writers get paid.

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ExistingCarry4868 t1_j0y44wg wrote

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. should also be banned. Why would it be fine for a private corporation to spy on government officials as long as the company was based in the US?

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ultima-ratio-populi t1_j0yg1tp wrote

Private corporations run the country. Many of the internet companies in the US cooperate with NSA. Government regulators often get offered high-paying jobs in the industries they regulate, they call it the revolving door.

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MineralPoint t1_j0zbh3z wrote

Because, we have very limited oversight, influence and control over a foreign corporation. Especially, with one that has links to an adversarial government. Normally, not a big deal for most things outside of national defense. However, SM is the atomic bomb of propaganda - the most powerful weapon ever built. Thinking of it that way, allowing US contractors to build, maintain and sometimes test those weapons on US soil is one thing. Imagine if we were letting China do that (we are), it's inconceivable. Full disclosure, I actually love TT and know that when it gets banned a good enough clone (not named FB Reels) will take its place.

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maharg79 t1_j0z7932 wrote

Yeah im a government contractor and it's been over 2 years now since we have had tiktok banned on our phones.

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YoHeadAsplode t1_j0zayug wrote

I work for a government institute (state university) and it's even banned on the network so students and employees can't even access Tiktok on campus unless they are using their own mobile data

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QuintoBlanco t1_j0ybw2u wrote

>Not to mention that any government-affiliated IT admin should have implemented those blocks

Not to mention that any government-affiliated IT admin should have implemented those blocks prior to initial

Thank you for using 'should' instead of 'would'.

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BlueMatWheel123 t1_j0xj2ja wrote

Down voting this post for misleading title. This only applies to GOVERNMENT devices.

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[deleted] t1_j0x2ld8 wrote

[removed]

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2SP00KY4ME t1_j0y1wia wrote

Have you tried asking them? You know, like a normal human being who communicates?

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morbidbutwhoisnt t1_j0y3o50 wrote

No, because then they have to actually show how disdainful they really are and they don't want to do that.

What they forget is that if it wasn't TikTok videos it would be something else. And they would still have to interact with people.

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2SP00KY4ME t1_j0y3sof wrote

>they have to actually show how disdainful they really are

"I'm glad you guys enjoy those TikTok vids but it's just not my thing, so I'd appreciate if you skip me over when sharing them. Thanks."

This is basic adulting.

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morbidbutwhoisnt t1_j0y5fmp wrote

Yeah you know, if he was capable of doing that before he was at the point of commenting the way he did I'm pretty sure he would have.

That's kind of why I describe most people like that as disdainful.

If they are taking up too much of his workday and interrupting productivity then he should definitely say something.

If it's not interrupting his workday then there's really two things going on here

  1. he doesn't want any interaction with his co-workers on a personal level

  2. he specifically hates short format videos.

If it's 1 and he doesn't want them to realize it then he's going to have to put up with this because it's always going to be something. If he doesn't care he can just make it clear

If it's 2 then what you said would be great in a version that he would say. But it's probably going to kind of isolate him because you have to think about what he's saying. "Hey, I know you enjoy this thing but don't come to me with it because I don't want you to share your enjoyment with me"

I think it would personally be better to say that he doesn't get as much enjoyment out of them but let them know that if there's are any that really make them think of him he wouldn't mind seeing them. That shows that he is engaged in the office culture but asking them to respect him as well.

He's allowed to say no to all of them. But if they are THAT big a part of the office culture that people love them that much then that's something to consider

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gonzo8927 t1_j10qovd wrote

I tried this with my mom, and I think it came across as Greek Hyrogliphs, because the videos in my inbox have never missed a beat

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2SP00KY4ME t1_j11uvd5 wrote

Did you bring it up again?

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gonzo8927 t1_j1445p1 wrote

Yeah, she says "I just send it to everyone, so it doesn't hurt my feelings if you don't watch them"

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universalrifle t1_j0xcsn4 wrote

Just make an American version called Ding dong

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IlIFreneticIlI t1_j0xtsms wrote

Nah, they'd just Ditch it after trying it once... I hear it slaps like dogshit.

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wildfire98 t1_j0wvaga wrote

I feel like Google saw this coming a mile away or something and then introduced shorts...

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shokkakahn t1_j0xd6kw wrote

more like the cat is out of the bag, if you can copy a competitor's offering to grab attention, you should. Youtube has stories (snap/ig), shorts (tiktok/reels), posts (facebook newsfeed), live, normal video.

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ReservoirGods t1_j0xwmoj wrote

Instagram reels as well, where most of them are just reposted tik tok content anyway

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TheElderFish t1_j0xmju1 wrote

Shorts is a steaming pile of dogshit compared to tiktok

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No_Gap4679 t1_j0wrfiw wrote

As well it should be… TikTok is destroying America.

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TheElderFish t1_j0xmmac wrote

He said on Reddit, without even a hint of irony

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No_Gap4679 t1_j0xqcbc wrote

I won’t let my 10 yr old daughter on Reddit either… but at least it isn’t owned by China.

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darth_handturkey t1_j0xud36 wrote

Not owned by China per say, but Tencent, a Chinese company, owns a massive stake in reddit.

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batia0121 t1_j0xr02c wrote

All social media (including Reddit) is as good / bad as the users on it.

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shokkakahn t1_j0xd8lm wrote

more like idiots destroying themselves. if you have nothing better to do than sit on your ass doom scrolling, then you're irrelevant

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[deleted] t1_j0wrpgj wrote

[deleted]

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Brig_raider t1_j0wtkzm wrote

In my experience Jesus (or the evangelical version of him) does way more damage

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No_Gap4679 t1_j0wu9p7 wrote

Uhhh… ok, I’m an atheist… and TikTok is still horrible.

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_Levitated_Shield_ t1_j0wuikk wrote

?

No one brought up religion.

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thunder_shart t1_j0wv3j5 wrote

Jesus did

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padizzledonk t1_j0wuzo9 wrote

That's pretty hyperbolic, yes, definitely not "destroying america"

BUT- from all I've heard and read and listened to security-related people it needs to go. There is direct evidence from the mouths of the US based executives that China is getting all the data and makes all the decisions cite

Its really not good that the CCP has direct access to all that data and has the ability to shape narratives by algorithm manipulation.....It doesn't take much to move the needle on social manipulation, and the last people I'd like manipulating us is the Chinese Government

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No_Gap4679 t1_j0wu697 wrote

No, it’s terrible… it’s a Chinese company, stealing people’s information… especially children’s… and nobody’s stopping it.

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Sivick314 t1_j0wuvi0 wrote

I mean, they all do that. The Chinese part is really the only thing different

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thefugue t1_j0xhtcw wrote

No, tik tok’s data gathering is far more intrusive.

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Outlulz t1_j0xxz2s wrote

It’s really not. They’re using the same stuff every American company is using. Google probably knows more about you from tracking all your browser and search activity, email activity, and potentially phone activity including location and bundling that all into one valuable data profile to sell to advertisers.

0

xorget t1_j0x5hif wrote

You're right that privacy is not a top priority of most social media sites. However, the main difference between tik tok and others, is that it is a completely different app here in the states than it is in china. It's known that tik tok is trying to show US kids something totally different than what it's showing chinese children.

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framesftw t1_j0wuzeh wrote

That's not even to mention all the horrible effects using the app has on people

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No_Gap4679 t1_j0ww3hp wrote

100% true. It’s become a “staged” scenario… where people make up fake situations, to gain acceptance.

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BSDShoes t1_j0xgf96 wrote

Up here in Canada, the effect is noticeable especially from challenges such as "destroy public bathrooms" and "slap a teacher".

−1

theassassintherapist t1_j0ztucm wrote

Cinnamon challenge and Tidepod challenge existed before tiktok and was viral on Youtube. It has more to do with stupid influencers and dumb kids than the platform hosting it.

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thefugue t1_j0xhwmg wrote

And what social media platform did you see that on?

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WakeUpTimeToDie23 t1_j0ya0o3 wrote

I’d rather have a Chinese company spy on me than a US one.

¯_(ツ)_/¯

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soonerfreak t1_j0z86zb wrote

At least China gives me a bunch of funny videos for my information.

0

GenXUser t1_j0wu7uc wrote

Says the smooth head who likes vertical video.

−7

someoneexplainit01 t1_j0ymssv wrote

What's shocking is how much battery life these apps suck up by tracking your every move and keeping your GPS antenna on all the time so they can monetize you.

Don't install the app of any social media, you can always use the web browser when you need a fix.

Your battery will last dramatically longer.

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internetlad t1_j0ylpu1 wrote

Blows my actual mind that it's taken this long. We've been on the wrong side of the great firewall kissing china's ass for years. Hopefully private entities follow suit.

1

deadsoulinside t1_j0z0o00 wrote

>TikTok on government-managed devices over concern that China could use it to track Americans and censor content.

Yet zero care that a right-wing nutjob is running Twitter and is already censoring content....

1

Miffers t1_j10v1xq wrote

Chinese Government:"Are you picking up any intel from the American users?"

"No, sir, we only got the dumb users."

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CrisuKomie t1_j1111sz wrote

"Some members of Congress last week proposed a nationwide ban, which would follow countries such as India that have already prohibited its use.”

Then please explain all the Indian tik toks I get, like that dude blowing up a clip art helicopter in the air by stomping his foot.

1

Mental_Attitude_2952 t1_j0xxjh9 wrote

Social media should be banned on all government equipment anyway. I'm shouldnt have to pay for someone to pick up chicks tinder.

Business shouldnt allow their workers to use those apps either, atleast not on company equipment.

I could careless if people want to tiktok or facebook or find dudes to 69 with on grindr. That all sounds great. Just do it on your own dime.

−1

morbidbutwhoisnt t1_j0y3k1f wrote

You do realize that quite a few businesses use social media as part of the business right? And belowbefore you complain about it, where would you go to find out about any products anymore? Or where would they go to test products? Or network with other people in the business?

I know your job may not rely on it but some people's jobs do

1

unmerciful_DM_B_Lo t1_j0xsfdl wrote

I love how reddit absolutely shits on tiktok and China and how bad it is, but the minute the government starts to ban it, yall are like "ugh! But we didn't actually mean it or want you to do anything about it for real!"

−3

Isthisworking2000 t1_j0xdqar wrote

Ok, so I get protecting American data on government devices, but banning TikTok to prevent potential Chinese censorship seems, err, specious at best?

−8

[deleted] t1_j0wul3k wrote

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Sivick314 t1_j0wurz1 wrote

They are going after tiktok because it's owned by the Chinese. If the CCP bought Facebook you could kiss it goodbye

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[deleted] t1_j0ww5aa wrote

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Sivick314 t1_j0wx8v8 wrote

Really don't think banning a CCP owned app from government phones is a bad idea. Honestly, all social media should be banned.

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[deleted] t1_j0x1bps wrote

[removed]

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SaltyMudpuppy t1_j0x8vpg wrote

> I view it as petty protectionism at best

Then you must have a very narrow worldview.

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[deleted] t1_j0x9h4z wrote

[removed]

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bubblegumdrops t1_j0xosfl wrote

I assume the users of the government owned mobile devices could just use it on their personal phones. Since, you know, it’s not a ban on tiktok on all American phones.

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