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1. Embed this notice
   Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 06:44:08 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

   I don't use #TikTok. Don't even have an account. Can't stand the app. But this thing with TikTok in the US is grossing me out. It's one thing to ban the thing but quite another to force the co to sell the platform to a US company. That's like a land grab, even if money is exchanged. This is going to put a chill on business relations not just with China but with companies globally, because they'll be wondering, "will I be the next Bytedance? Will they try to grab my company too?"

   • Embed this notice
     maya_b (maya_b@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 06:48:28 JST maya_b

     in reply to

     @liztai

     It also really does nothing to solve the underlying rational which is user data privacy - why not regulate consumer data protections?

     What it really signals is that only US companies can profit from consumer surveillance.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 06:56:02 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • maya_b

     @maya_b yea it is all kinds of hypocrisy there. I bet Meta is running their hands in glee and can't wait for TikTok to be banned. Ugh

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 07:05:33 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • thepoliticalcat

     @thepoliticalcat that's quite a different thing, no? You set up the co from the start this way. Anyway I am not familiar with Malaysian business law so I can't comment. But with this situation the US is literally trying to seize TikTok assets. Ban it outright, fine. But you want their stuff to? Reprehensible.

   • Embed this notice
     thepoliticalcat (thepoliticalcat@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 07:05:34 JST thepoliticalcat

     in reply to

     @liztai Didn't Malaysia do the same thing? Excuse me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that, at one time, Malaysia required all businesses operating in its territory to have 51% local ownership? It's been a long time since I paid attention to the economic situation there, but that was my understanding.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 07:08:15 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • chris@strafpla.net

     @chris I don't see how this is the same. One country has specific ways of doing business, you either accept their terms or not. Then there's another country who welcomes you set up a co without these restrictions and who are suddenly turning around and saying sell or else.

   • Embed this notice
     chris@strafpla.net (chris@mstdn.strafpla.net)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 07:08:16 JST chris@strafpla.net

     in reply to

     @liztai I’m not an economist, but from what I read withing the last decade it’s not completely without parallels to the challenges international companies are facing when doing business in China.
     And I never heard that those companies tried to campaign Chinese citizens to pressure their government into doing something.
     So, from a distance, it does not seem too drastic.
     https://www.vanityfair.com/news/tiktok-unleashed-pressure-campaign-congress

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 07:26:37 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • chris@strafpla.net

     @chris you don't make any sense

   • Embed this notice
     chris@strafpla.net (chris@mstdn.strafpla.net)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 07:26:38 JST chris@strafpla.net

     in reply to

     @liztai Sorry, but I didn‘t write “the same”.

   • Embed this notice
     thepoliticalcat (thepoliticalcat@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 07:45:55 JST thepoliticalcat

     in reply to

     @liztai Ah, I see. This is the answer to my question. I'm not familiar with Malaysian business law, either, but I remember working on a story, gee, 50 years ago, I guess, and that one factoid sticks with me. I don't agree with the strongarming that's going on. It's morally reprehensible, at the very least. I can't opine on whether it should be banned, but if it is a security risk, as some folks claim, then, yes, banning it would be more sensible than forcing the owner to sell to an American.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 07:45:55 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • thepoliticalcat

     @thepoliticalcat I actually dont care if TikTok is banned actually, as I really don't like what that app is doing to our brains 😆 But the political theatre going on around TikTok in the US is pretty ugh. Just very hypocritical, racist and gross (the stealing bits). U want it banned? Fine. But don't try to grab the co at the same time. Build your own damn TikTok.

   • Embed this notice
     thepoliticalcat (thepoliticalcat@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 08:01:30 JST thepoliticalcat

     in reply to

     @liztai Racist and gross is exactly what nearly half this country wants, apparently. I don't know if you saw the CEO of a Chinese company being harassed by Congress, but by the end, I was ready to take out my slipper and fluff a certain Senator's cheeks, all four of them. The guy was a Singaporean and explaining that to the gross racist was incredible to watch.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 08:01:30 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • thepoliticalcat

     @thepoliticalcat yes I did!! That's the major reason why I hate this whole TikTok exercise. No one will be able to convince me that the whole thing is rooted in racism

   • Embed this notice
     thepoliticalcat (thepoliticalcat@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 08:11:40 JST thepoliticalcat

     in reply to

     @liztai That poor guy is gua mya countryman, lor. Felt so bad for him tryna convince that idiot who doesn't even know that Singapore is not China! Haiya! When I used to live in S'pore, all the time getting letters from these blady eediots address ony "Singapore, China." Sial mya orang.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 08:11:40 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • thepoliticalcat

     @thepoliticalcat I had some choice Hokkien words for that senator hahah

     But honestly, showcasing their best racism out there for the world to see .. not a good look.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 08:15:34 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • thepoliticalcat

     @thepoliticalcat daaang.
     Ya know Malaysians used to be supremely embarassed by what our politicians say on the international stage. Never thot that I will see a day where the US would be top us in that category

   • Embed this notice
     thepoliticalcat (thepoliticalcat@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 08:15:35 JST thepoliticalcat

     in reply to

     @liztai He's got constituents who vote for him. This is the dumbfuck who wants to do away with divorce. I'm sure you can imagine why. I pity his wife, if he has one.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 08:27:12 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • thepoliticalcat

     @thepoliticalcat LOL gosh in this day and age, I do hope they brush up on their geography. "America too big" and "Americans don't travel" is no longer an excuse to not know basic things like this 😆

     I spoke to a friend in the US about this and she says that it is indeed true that they are not taught anything about other countries. What a strange way to live, honestly. You need to know they world beyond your borders to be competitive.

   • Embed this notice
     thepoliticalcat (thepoliticalcat@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 08:27:13 JST thepoliticalcat

     in reply to

     @liztai The US press LOVES to print all the WORST stories about other countries (as a Singaporean, I'm familiar with that). They never talk about the successes of other nations, only the disasters. If you didn't know better you would think Singaporeans were living in trees. (I had a Swiss BF whose mother was convinced we did!)

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 11:42:02 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Ben Royce 🇺🇦

     @benroyce and? I don't understand why people highlight this issue as a counterargument for the TikTok situation. It's their right as a sovereign nation to not allow these platforms to operate. And I am ok with America banning TikTok, but am not ok with them seizing their assets.

   • Embed this notice
     Ben Royce 🇺🇦 (benroyce@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 11:42:03 JST Ben Royce 🇺🇦

     in reply to

     @liztai

     china already blocks youtube, facebook, wikipedia, reddit, netflix, bing, whatsapp, twitch, spotify, twitter, linkedin, etc, some over a decade

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_mainland_China

     now let's talk business chill

     also bytedance has said they won't sell. so it's just going to be banned

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 11:50:06 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Ben Royce 🇺🇦

     @benroyce the fact that it is being forced to sell is bad enough. Seizing assets is probably hyperbole, but this is what it amounts to.

   • Embed this notice
     Ben Royce 🇺🇦 (benroyce@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 11:50:07 JST Ben Royce 🇺🇦

     in reply to

     @liztai maybe you know something I don't. As far as I understood it would be a forced sale. And if not, it's shut down, so then assets (servers, office equipment, etc) sold off in pieces. I didn't hear anything about seizing assets.

     Maybe the confusion is because tiktok is unprofitable? Tiktok has never made a profit and always operated in the red. so it's all business liabilities and the creditors would seize assets to get something for their money?

     I don't know.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 12:25:20 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     • Todd

     @ToddPM haha I am confused too. Why is TikTok considered foreign aid?

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 15:08:43 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • thepoliticalcat
     • Badri

     @badri @thepoliticalcat Some argue that it is unfair that Meta etc arent allowed in China etc. Yes, China made that decision right at the start and didnt insist. I find it odd that people think that it is unfair that a foreign nation can come to a country to do biz "without barriers." A sovereign nation should be able to decide who they want to do business with. So China said no to !eta etc. So what? If the US no longer wants to do biz with China that's fair, but theres no higher moral ground.

   • Embed this notice
     Badri (badri@snipetteville.in)'s status on Saturday, 27-Apr-2024 15:08:49 JST Badri

     in reply to

     • thepoliticalcat
     @liztai the annoying this is that all the problems with TikTok (besides maybe the "security risk" stuff, idk about that) are true—but they're also true for most *other* large social media platforms, and nothing remotely like this is being done to them 🧐
     
     There's the argument that "well, we've got to start somewhere", but somehow I don't get the feeling other companies like Meta and Google are going to face the same scrutiny. Anyway the focus is so much on Tiktok that nobody's even bothering to argue that "well, we've got to start somewhere" lol
     
     @thepoliticalcat