this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2024
262 points (94.0% liked)
Technology
59322 readers
5220 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related content.
- Be excellent to each another!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Approved Bots
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
If it was actually about privacy then the US would be introducing data transparency and control laws (which only kicks in here if TikTok doesn't sell to a US company). Whether it's the US wanting to stream their own bullshit to kids or just that sweet sweet ad revenue, this is in no way about privacy or "protecting the children".
That's a separate issue that could not be addressed with this kind of law anyway.
How so? If you're concerned about propaganda, require every company operating within the US to show users exactly what data is collected and allow them to delete any or all of it as desired. Show users to the technical extent possible what data has connected them to suggested videos or ads. Put the power of users' hands to understand and control how they are targeted.
That would be a very different kind of law from the one we're talking about.
My point is, why isn't that the law were making? Does it not address the same problem?
Not exactly the same problem. In the same way that gun control doesn't address the problem of hostile foreign militaries. Yes, both involve guns, but the laws and policies that address one are inapplicable and inappropriate to the other.
The law in question addresses the problem of foreign adversaries having easy access to manipulate US public opinion. The law you suggest addresses the problem of advertisers having that access. Both are serious concerns, both need to be addressed, but they are not the same problem and the solutions are markedly different.