AIBU to think TikTok should be banned in the UK too?

Sorry, must stop trying to be jovial. So not MN.

I really can't be arsed to redo all the essays I've written over time looking at the historical reasons for Britains ability to create amazing tech (did you know that the US regarded the research on radar the UK gave them in 1941 as more important than the Manhattan Project with a higher security clearance ?) and then piss away any advantage. However it's a complex brew of attitudes and class. Relying on Lord Handshandy to bankroll your technical advances was never a valid business plan in the long run - but that is about more than mere cost.

Anyway we are where we are. Much more interesting is the fact that SCOTUS denied the TikTok appeal unanimously: 9-0. I would say "for whatever reason" but we know the reason - in word by word detail. They agree it is a threat to US national security.

I'm much more intrigued how something can be deemed a thread to US national security and yet not to UK security.

Some might mention a political dimension. However it's universally agreed that SCOTUS is probably as Trump friendly as it gets. And they (basically) ignored him. With quite serious implications, as it means he now cannot repeal this law without congress.

Of course it’s also cost

Many consumers who are wary of China still choose the cheaper option

It's so powerful and established that our allowing British scientists to emigrate could be seen as trying to sabotage foreign projects.

I can’t say I agree with this. Seems like that good old self dislike which is part of our make up at times

It's much deeper than that - it goes back well over a century. It's part of our social conditioning.

We’re bad at voting for scaling up creation and tech

We have ingenuity but if you want to scale up as the US do you’ll need more favourable tax set up and money put in

We’ve just seen the electorate aren’t there with that, preferring higher taxes and tax business at all costs

Britain has an almost supernatural ability to develop science and tech and then totally and utterly fail to exploit it. It's so powerful and established that our allowing British scientists to emigrate could be seen as trying to sabotage foreign projects.

"What is actually on it?

Is it not more or less the same content as Facebook and Instagram? Plus the stupid dances?

I don't have tiktok but I see tiktok videos being shared on Facebook."

Anything you can imagine really. You can follow a Ukrainian soldier in the field, a British doctor who moved to Australia, a family building a tiny home on a Scottish island, have art lessons, speak to your favourite author, learn how to do pretty much anything.

It isn't like anything else because of the size, the algorithm, the usability.

Whatever you see from TikTok on FB is probably already six months old, and will be something 'fun' to appeal to as many people as possible.

I agree. I'm not sure why Britain isn't pushing for British tech, we invented most of what these companies are using!

It’s a terrible thing to be so reliant on America who practically control all tech infrastructure and software as well as dictate how our military is used and force us to have the dollar as the international reserve currency.

And I say this not because I’m pro-China. I’m anti any country dominating others.

I love TikTok but agree with pp about “curating” the content you see. Mine is clothes, makeup, day in the life, recipes, and cats/dogs, but I found myself in a hole of animal rescue/neglect/cruelty which I didn’t want to see and had to actively tell the algorithm I wasn’t interested in. The algorithm is so quick to think, aha, she’s interested in cancer (because I watched someone talk about their diagnosis for 90 seconds) so let’s serve her loads of content about palliative care.

I watch a lot of “slow living” content too, which is kind of the opposite of TikTok, but I really enjoy it, especially people who live on remote islands.

What is actually on it?

Is it not more or less the same content as Facebook and Instagram? Plus the stupid dances?

I don't have tiktok but I see tiktok videos being shared on Facebook.

"That's good if it's done genuinely and not the greedy grabby ones trying to charge 4k for 1 post."

They promoted themselves at no cost and built a following. Our local Waterstones told me that BookTok (the side of TikTok for book lovers) had significantly increased sales in young adult fiction - people coming in asking for books going viral on TikTok.

The Chancellor isn't a person who I have a lot of faith in though.

My team won a team building excerise at work last year building a structure out of spaghetti because I'd recently seen a tiktok video on it

A cure for cancer can only be months away ....

There you go it does seem to be mixed messaging and policy

I can think of other states that would be deemed hostile but we don’t send the Chancellor to connect and build investment there

That's good if it's done genuinely and not the greedy grabby ones trying to charge 4k for 1 post.

The Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner said last year that our policing and security services were technologically vulnerable because of their use of Chinese-made equipment, including CCTV, drones and body cameras. Can the Minister say whether the digital asbestos of Chinese-made technology is still used in our policing and security infrastructure—yes or no?

Tom Tugendhat

An example of the threat this can cause. It is not a good thing to be so reliant on China.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2024-04-15/debates/7767B6DD-923E-4C07-82EF-986A448606D4/SecurityThreatFromChina

Hostile enough that it is frequently debated in parliament and Huawei is banned from the UK and other nations. I don't understand why our Chancellor is schmoozing them for investment, it doesn't make sense.

A local independent bookshop was turned around by promotion on TikTok, as were a great many businesses.

There is no 'trending' on TikTok

There is a feed of accounts you follow, and a 'for you' page that makes suggestions based on your interests.

I'm not saying young people are never exposed to anything they shouldn't be exposed to, but that's where age guidance and parental supervision come in.

How hostile? Not so much we haven’t just had a chancellor go over to try and bring in Chinese investment

And then something else will be developed which will do the exact same thing.

Hopefully an end will be put to it eventually.

Not trying to be argumentative at all, just asking a question as that is what a lot of people do use Tik Tok for along with .any other useful things. Hence there being so many creators whose accounts are based around those subjects. My original point was around comments from previous posters who seem to think that everything on there is dangerous and evil. It's not the dark web, it's an extremely useful platform if your algorithm is right. My teen DD is even currently using it for GCSE revision as lots of teachers/tutors have accounts and post content on revision topics.

Also in regards to your comment about it's not what most young people use it for, that is down to the parents to monitor and actually parent.

I know you’re just trying to be argumentative, but I will bite.

This is not what most young people use it for, and this is not why they’re considering banning it.