As you guys probably know, TikTok, like many social media platforms, has faced scrutiny over privacy and security concerns.
These concerns have led various organizations and countries to take measures such as banning the app on government devices or considering broader bans due to security risks.
However, skepticism and scrutiny continue, influencing how users and governments view and regulate the platform.
Now, the US government has given its parent company two options: sell it to an approved buyer or see it banned.
I personally donāt use TikTok, I donāt have an account & never planned on using it, so I donāt really have any skin in the game. However, Iām not sure how I feel about such strong government interference regarding an app.
What do you guys think? I look forward to a productive discussion.
Luckily I also donāt use it.
The interference is about China having more ācontrolā in the western world. And off courseā¦ that cannot happenā¦ 
But nowadays governments are interfering with more than just that. And that is also one thing that I don` t like.
Facebook, Instagram, Signal, Telegram, Discord, Reddit, YouTube and Twitter are similarly problematic. For example, Facebook has been proven a bad actor again and again (like with the Cambridge Analytica affair).
I very much doubt Signal.
Signal is a very privacy/secure messaging system from Switzerland. One of the most secure messaging apps in the world.
Iām not happy that theyāre like āyouāve got to use our servers and youāve got to use our clientsā. I like FOSS platforms like OMEMO 
No problems. 
Never heard off it to be honest, but it sounds interesting though! 
Someone recommended Jami which does not rely on a centralised server. Iāve installed the app but have not yet looked into how to use it.
Looks interesting and good, thank you
Since this is a discussion, I am at the point Iām just sick of social media & advertisements. Iāve even taken strides to unfollow any account that isnāt benefiting me in some sort of way. I follow inspiring people and companies, some who make a difference, others who have beautiful photography. I unfollowed a lot of those influencers who like to sell their LTK, Amazon Storefronts & use their accounts to make money. And still, even though I use Instagram to scroll through more positive, enjoyable posts, I donāt love having social media. Iām tired of every other post being an ad. I heard Pinterest has become worse. I guess I only really have IG because I follow some artists who make beautiful artworks and ceramics. Small companies. Overall though, I try to spend less time on any social mediaā¦donāt use X, donāt really use Facebook, donāt use Pinterest much eitherā¦Iām just completely off those applications. Itās a huge time waster. I use Reddit and enjoy it, but Iām also learning and offering advice, so I consider that more socialization than anything else.
I know this post is about TikTok, just figured Iād begin with what social media I do use. I use YouTube with ad-blocking because I donāt really want to support people, as heartless as it is. I use it like the old days when people couldnāt really make money off of it. I never touched TikTok until recently. I used to only download it because I would hear about some TikTok person who died or got into legal trouble and had so many followers, I was curious who this person was. Otherwise, I really wouldnāt use it (especially since all social media interchanges different platforms- meaning you can find something from TikTok on Facebook, Instagram, X, etc & vice versa). Then, during the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard legal drama, it was interesting to see videos on body language experts, legal department and so forth making videos in regards to it. It kind of opened up my eyes that TikTok had more to offer than influencers, dancing, reacting to stupid stuff. I started seeing TikTok videos that were helpful, or at least appeared to be. Like, how to talk more confidently (just an example of something āgoodā). Still, to this day though, I donāt really use TikTok at all. I was just surprised to see that side of it,
Anyway, if for whatever reason TikTok closes for good due to our government, I feel like itās not really a loss in my book. Another app came and left. Reminds me of Vine, except not run by China. I think the only people who will be really affected would be the younger generations who grew up with it. Personally, I think anyone who gained fame from TikTok is undeserving and a laughing joke because theyāre as talentless as the Kardashians, but thatās just my opinion (itās okay if you disagree with me). If TikTok ceases to exist, I say, good riddance. It contributed close to nothing to society, very very little. It actually got more people in trouble probably.
@muxbree
Thank you for sharing your thoughts so openly. Itās clear youāve really reflected on the impact of social media in your life, and I can definitely relate to that feeling of being overwhelmed by ads and the constant commercial side of platforms like FB & Instagram. Itās refreshing to hear how youāve taken control by curating your feed with inspiring and creative content, it seems like a mindful approach to stay connected while avoiding some of the negative aspects. We actually wrote an article about this on our blog- I think you would enjoy it.
In the end, it is all about balance.
I hear you on TikTok too. While thereās some valuable content hidden in there, like educational videos and expert insights, itās easy to get lost in the overwhelming amount of less meaningful content. I also agree that if TikTok were to disappear, it wouldnāt be a huge loss for many of us. Personally, I donāt use TikTok & I donāt feel like there is anything missing in my life.
And youāre completely right, just like Vine, another platform will likely rise to take its place, and for some people, life will go on unchanged. LOL
Itās interesting how we all use social media differently. For example, you see YouTube as more of an old-school content platform, which makes total sense, especially with ad-blocking. Itās amazing how even platforms that have been around for a while can shift in purpose over time.
I also respect your perspective on the TikTok influencers, thereās definitely a big divide between people who view them as entertainers or trendsetters and those who see the content as lacking substance. Itās okay to feel the way you do, especially since everyoneās experience with these platforms is so personal. At the end of the day, I think we all have the power to decide which spaces and content bring value into our lives and which ones donāt.
Thanks again for sharing your insights! Itās refreshing to hear from someone whoās actively rethinking their relationship with social media!
Check out the article & let me know what you think.
Chinese perfected algorhytm to track your desires, even more then You Tube
They did understood, like with Instagram, new gen kids are only about video. Text and audio only are boring to them.
I dislike not my info being sold to Communist party of PRC - better then to Google and Amazon and MS >:D
but addictability, kids doing weird challenges etc,
Rise of Tik Tok tells it best
should it be censored? No more then fb Instagram, as similar or You Tube shorts.
I was once in Tunisia before Arab spring. First I was amazed gouverment censored You Tube and Facebook from computers, then I started enjoying it,
I am for one in all solution, like OneCent WeChat in China, that is free and do a lot (even spies a lot) then to tons of paids, spyware apps in capitalism.
Less choices is more freedom.
Itās an interesting take on how TikTok executives avoid letting their own kids use the platform. It reminds me of the growing awareness around the impact of excessive screen time on young minds and how even those behind the scenes are taking steps to shield their children. This raises the question: if tech creators are cautious about their own products, should users be more skeptical too?
Especially when it comes to apps designed to capture attention and feed into that dopamine loop.
Do you guys think thereās a larger issue here with how platforms like TikTok are shaping online behavior, not just for kids but for adults as well? Could mindful tech use be the solution, or is there something deeper we need to address in the way these platforms are designed? Iād love to hear everyoneās thoughts on whether the responsibility lies more with the users, the tech companies, or a mix of both.
50 minutes, but well explained
While its not a defense of China, the west does try really hard to make them out to be some boogy man. The reality is we have essentially the same laws China has in regards to the government secretly accessing user data. personally i think these stories are largely a distraction
that said, tiktok like most social media apps regardless of who makes them, are super unhealthy for the mind.
Their kids do use the platform, the one in china, its us who has the lax laws regarding what can and cannot be on these apps, the app is designed for its target audience, designed similar to things like instagram. i think even the tiktok ceo said as much, his kids dont see the same things becuase they have the ākidā experiance of the equivilant app be it in the US or china, and the laws in China and related countries are not the same as the UK / Europe.
its Europe and the US to blame for these apps imo, we allow children to use them, and encourage this kind of media and have done for decades.
Itās an odd stance to absolve a foreign adversary of blame for intentionally damaging the minds of Western youth. While I understand that we have our own versions of the same, and we should deal with those (I think by repealing paragraph one of section 230), we should not need to deal with apps like TikTok at all. A nuance free straightforward ban on any service controlled by any company beholden to any foreign adversary seems like a reasonable approach.
I agree with Eden here. Its not China who forced any foreign country from using their addictive app. Its one oligarchy class creating something addictive for another oligarchy to peddle in their own countries and continue preying on the poor and destitute everywhere when all they want is an escape. And where can they find that? In social medias, and what more perfect place to advertise to people looking for the cheapest goods or distracting commodities?
So tired of nationalistic tendencies fooling people into believing their enemies are those from other countries and not those who look and talk exactly like them - just with alot more means and power.
If you donāt think China has any enemies then you must be wilfully ignorant. I donāt trust anything that comes from China. Temu steals my data (and my intellectual property), SHEIN is made by child slaves and pollutes the environment, and the most recent video to come out of China is āAI robots turning on civilians and attacking themā. Itās textbook propaganda. There is nothing nationalistic about countries who are competing with each other and are only looking out for themselves. This includes all countries.
Here is just a recent example of TikTok being used as a weapon. In this instance it happens to be at a surface level an economic attack, but is actually a psychological assault on the instinct to abide by the law. 5/2/25 - Sourcing Deception and Influence by Design: How the CCP Uses TikTok to Fight the Trade War - Network Contagion Research Institute