If we're going to talk about how China and other foreign entities might use social media platforms like TikTok to threaten national security.... we should similarly be talking about how billionaires from within might be doing the same.
Okay. That’s the dumb kind of “whataboutism” that Trump idiots pull out every time we do something against Russia. We banned RT and they cried about how Zuck killed the laptop story. Dont be like them,stop riding TikTok’s nuts.
Exactly! I've always maintained that the reason the US wants TikTok banned isn't because China could do nefarious things with it, but that the US can't use the platform for those same nefarious things, since they don't control it.
We are. This is just the most obvious and easiest target to start with thanks to laws around foreign countries who actively want to harm us. Don't stop the start of FINALLY getting some accountability being placed on social media companies because they aren't targeting the company you think should be first.
So what you're saying, is that the Chinese government could use TikTok to do things that Trump, the GOP, and certain media outlets, have already been doing for a long time?
I think Tik Tok is trash, but to pretend it does something Fox hasn't done since the 90s is ridiculous. I recognize the potential problems with TT, I just don't think it's nearly as unique as they make it sound. It could be uniquely powerful given its reach, but compare that with ~30 years of the exact same thing.
Dang, could someone run an info-op to shape thought on universal healthcare, high speed rail, building housing, raising the minimum wage, taxing the hell out of billionaires, fully funding education, subsidizing childcare, etc!? Asking for a friend.
Progressives need better communication. Simply descriptions. We get caught up in details and most people just don’t follow these things closely. Keep it simple….how will it improve and help them.
There are some but they are all small independent content creators. Dr glaucomflecken and other USA Drs on social media have been going after insurance companies for a few years now. The gravel Institute was trying to be the opposite of PragerU but I think that stopped after he passed. More Perfect union has been doing some work on a bunch of topics. I don't remember the creators name but there is a woman who move to Germany who has been going at the healthcare, support and childcare aspect compared to the US. Corporate media will not promote these ideas, the ones who benefit from the current system pays their bills.
That and the app could be used to launch a 0 day exploit like what Penduoduo did. Also you can get way better data from a smartphone than you can from a data broker. ESPECIALLY for users who use privacy control services to get their data deleted from data brokers.
That's what I'm hearing! I don't understand why Fox News is still called News. Didn't they say under oath that they weren't a news station, but were strictly for entertainment? Apparently, the powers that be don't care about the damage to national security Fox has done undermining beliefs in vaccines, elections, etc. They only care about Tik Tok?
In 2009 I was a young Canadian military officer taking a mandatory professional education (university level) course on military history and technology. For the term paper, we were required to choose at a new or emerging technology and describe how it would be or could be used for military purposes. I chose the Internet, specifically social media, and argued that it could be used for information operations (io) to influence the public opinion in liberal western democracy resulting in changing government policy. This is because in the in liberal western democracies the government responds to what the public wants. The example I used was using social media to change the public support for the war the Afghanistan and for the public to call for a withdrawal from the war. Over the last five years, I have repeatedly said to my husband “I never thought the thesis of my paper would come true, and I really wish I had been wrong”.
Yeah back in 1999 I wrote a paper about the unseen but pervasive influence of Ayn Rand in our culture and politics. Sure wish that had gone down the drain along with the Y2K scare. But nope. It’s still here and nastier than ever.
@@BC25citizenThough he’s gone, I’m not sure but I think Ryan was huge Ayn Rand fan. That tax bill that exploded the debt and gave billionaires a tax break on Trump’s first go around? That was RYAN’S work; he wrote either a portion of it or a BIG portion of it. And then he bailed. To his own private island, no doubt.
FWIW I think you should be proud of your foresight. I was in Cadets when I was 16 and when I was 18 an enlisted friend tried to recruit me. He said "we desperately need people who aren't stupid." This was Yellowknife in 2001 so... context. Anyways, I didn't end up joining because, while there were many admirable individuals serving, the institution as a whole looked like a dumpster fired and I didn't like the idea of having my life and/or life's work squandered by fools. Canadian society in general is IMO rather moribund and stagnant - the people at the top are trying like heck to keep everything the way it is because any change is a potential threat to their gravy train. The military is probably the best example of this - at the root of its various problems is the fact that voting Canadians do not want to talk or think about their own national security. Haha TLDR I'm glad you were thinking of our national security. I'm sorry that your foresight was squandered. Also I'm deeply sorry I haven't been able to interest Canadians in talking or thinking about their own national security. The world is unsafe and America is unreliable and Canadians are largely uninterested in these problems.
@@neillore7332 you’re enlisted friend was right though. We need people who are intelligent and want to move things forward. It takes a lot of patience to put up with the BS when you’re at the bottom of the totem pole and slowly work your way up to the point where you can influence things. I do want to reassure you that there are smart people who care deeply about national security working in that field in Canada. To be totally honest our biggest issue is that our politicians just don’t care. They are too focused on winning the next election and whatever personally benefits them. I honestly think that the few smart moves that our current government have made with respect to national security are because outside influences said you need to pay attention. All the briefing notes and reports in the world don’t mean anything the damn politicians don’t read it. Based on my observations were working at headquarters, our previous government, the one that was in office when I wrote my paper, didn’t care either. The only difference between the two governments was the earlier one pretended like they cared (really they didn’t). I don’t know how much of this is because the public doesn’t care or how much the public doesn’t care is because politicians don’t care or if it’s a feed forward cycle. 🤷♀️ I’ve since medically released/retired so I no longer have an inside scoop. I just pray that Canadians wake the F up with what’s going on south of us, around the world and in our own country. 🤞
This is definitely happening in Canada today. Anti trade, anti globalism, anti abortion, anti immigration. All the usual far right talking points are exploding in the comments section of every news report I've seen for years. Tenet media and their deep ties to Russia are already public. We know there was some involvement of US evangelical groups with the "freedom convoy". The support I see for trump online by people claiming to be Canadian does not jibe with my daily interactions with my conservative Co workers and neighbors. Our country is being stolen from us, one thought changing post at a time.
Other countries ban American social media platforms. They've recognized the magnitude of the influence any worldwide communications can have on official national policies.
Many people on the left are still not acknowledging how their favorite demotivational diatribes--were pushed and amplified by Putin. Maybe this will help them understand--it wasn't just MAGA who were being played.
Control the Narrative. “Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” ― George Orwell, 1984
‘It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.’ "The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him." Niccolò Machiavelli, 'The Prince'
"Increase domestic strife & unrest by amplifying racist messaging and convince people of every silly notion the Pres.-elect has." THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT ELON HAS DONE WITH X. (And he is a US citizen!!!)
I'm honestly shocked that this isn't obvious and needs explanation. This just crumbled my already bad perception of US education system. I perceive this as high school level basic education of information processing, social studies, media literacy and power dynamics. But I'm very content that Belle has given it a good and fair response.
Thanks, Belle. We as a population have, in large part, welcomed social media into our lives and self-concepts without too much thought to the consequences. There were some warning us more than a decade ago, but most of us accepted the convience without understanding the implications. We tend to either assume tech is innocuous, or at least neutral, or that protection is built somewhere in the system, rather than considering the motivations behind those who control and regulate it. Thanks for the question, and the response.
Same with Facebook. My feed was spammed by multiple allegedly non-political pages with the same copy pasted memes over and over. I thought it would ease off after the election, but nope. Partly my fault for sometimes clicking on them to argue about it I suppose.
@@dorkangel1076 Exactly. You engaged with them so now the algorithm thinks you want more. I bet the same is true for the OP. I will put money that the OP also thinks that ANY thing conservative leaning is fascist.
@@robo5013 it was interesting that as many of those commenting for it were also commenting against it. These seem more like fake accounts farming clicks as despite the wide range of topics these pages claimed to support they were all posting the exact same memes with the same hash tags and the same comment. However the memes themselves were all pushing simplistic conservative talking points. I never saw any pushing progressive talking points, despite following some progressive sites.
Very good question. And answer. Journalists are notorious for overestimating the understanding of a huge swath of their listeners. The listeners aren't stupid, they just don't know until they know, and no one is explaining. Maddow was awful about this. She'd throw out an idea and then look at the camera with a "Can you believe it?" look and sometimes we'd know what she meant and other times we'd be wondering if an explanation was ever gonna show up. It rarely did. So, very good question.
Excellent answer 🎉 There are no stupid questions, and you're not dense for not knowing; you're intelligent for asking. Have a great day Belle 😊 💙💙👍💙💙🐎❓🤔❓🤔
❤Belle, ❤THANK YOU for NOT putting horrible closeup FACE PHOTOS of awful POLITICAL FIGURES on your titles!!!❤I LOVE THAT YOU USE YOUR OWN LOVELY FACE on all the titles!! I have unsubscribed from other channels just cuz I am DONE LOOKING at their HORRIBLE PHOTOS EVERYDAY just to get basic NEWS UPDATES! Love you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
At AT&T they don't allow TikTok on any company devices, citing a government warning that devices with the app loaded transfer exponentially higher data, especially when charging IF your email addresses contain a major company or educational suffix. (Like AT&T, Apple, Ford, whatever) They also cited incidences of products in development where products hit the market in other countries containing all of the exact specifications that were in the companies data. Projects where a Chinese company underbid American companies by a very small amount, it was a very scary read.
I don't see this kind of stuff brought up enough. The amount of useful data you can get from a smartphone is so much better than the stuff they can buy from databrokers. They can use real time location data to have someone tail you and gather dirt to compromise you among other things. Remember when Belle told us a few weeks ago that China has been conducting the largest espionage campaign in history? I would not be surprised if Tik Tok is part of it.
@@Erin-Thor Well described, Erin. Now I'm scared too! I'd be afraid to buy a Chinese car even if it was the cheapest, and even though I lead a boring life that wouldn't garner the Chinese any helpful information, only because I would FEEL spied on. It would be seriously creepy. 😬
This is also why cell phones, Bluetooth enabled devices, wi-fi enabled devices, recording devices, and cameras are not allowed in certain companies that deal with ummmm....large contracts from federal customers.....especially military customers. Cell phones aren't allowed in the building at all. No matter what apps are, or are not on your device.
Hello Belle, Beau, and Team, Thank you for covering this topic. I would like to see your all's thoughts on the recent Net-Neutrality decision. This is a battle I have fought many times and would like to see more coverage on as it's becoming an issue once again.
I second that! I was so happy when the FCC reinstated the rule. As soon as the Loper Bright decision came out, I knew it would be used against net neutrality.
I've always assumed that the natsec concern was tiktok has camera/audio access to devices it's installed on and they're worried about every phone with tiktok being turned into a bug.
As a military veteran who worked in areas where cell phones and any electronic had to be locked up prior to entering the building, this was my greatest concern, because this is a national security issue. The argument about TikTok being used for information operations, applies to every other social media platform as well. The only difference between TikTok and other social media platforms, is that the algorithm for TikTok is very closely guarded by the Chinese government. Calling that national security issue is a little bit of a stretch in my opinion. But is it more concerning than other platforms? IMO yes.
The only reason you get maga bs on your YT feed is because you interact with it. If you go arguing in the comments or thumbs downing whatever video it is,you boost it in the algorithm and make it think you want to see more of that kind of stuff. I ignored it and guess what,no more maga crap on my feed. That’s just a skill issue my friend stop taking the bait
Maybe you just look for it, or more likely just think that things that don't 100% align with your politics must be MAGA when they're not. Right now to the right of my screen is YT recommending more political videos and 99% of them are from the left. If you're getting recommendations for right leaning videos that means that you have engaged with them.
The real nat/sec issue here is, and I should say quite glaringly, the incoming administration and what we have as to a Congress... Not to mention, but to mention, the maga governors and lower officers.
Yeah no. Twitter is owned by X Corp, headquartered in Texas. Most of X Corp is owned by Elon Musk, a US citizen since 2002. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, headquartered in Beijing. I don't know if the Chinese Communist Party actually officially owns part of ByteDance, but there is plenty of opportunity for them to pull some strings or whatever. But mostly, the US is not in competition with South Africa the way it is with China. The issue with X is that Musk is the richest man to ever exist, not that he comes from South Africa. 🤷
Why would China or any other country need Tiktoc? They already have full access to every other platform with full control in their own country in order for those platforms to operate there. All this hysteria over Tiktoc was the result of lobbying by their competitors cuz they were losing market share
It's the 'our' versus 'their' thing. Empires always claim that what OTHER empires do or might do is a horrific abomination and a threat, even when they've been doing the same thing for years. It usually works, too. OUR necessary investigations in accordance with (classified) best practices, THEIR horrible scary rights-violating surveillance. OUR public relations spending, THEIR insidious mind control campaigns. Two perspectives on the same behaviour, which is which entirely a matter of which empire you're from. Of course, as a third party, I'm just mad at the empires in general for how effectively they keep an oligopoly on media. I barely experienced the 'old' decentralized Internet, and I miss it dearly...
isnt that already happening with our government and social media?? nobody is in control and we dont get information on gaza dead babies,,,we are so protected it is infuriating
I'm not sure that empowering people who can't reason their way through an issue/problem will make things better. Those are the sorts of people that need *_*hard core*_* education *_*before*_* empowerment.
I have a serious problem with the idea of empowering others. I say, you can't. All you can do is offer education and support but it makes no difference unless I empower myself by accepting and running with it.
To the person who asked this, and to Belle, who took the time to answer (without making us listeners who honestly didn't know feel dumb) thank you! I am one of those who have been searching for an answer I simply could not find! SO grateful for you! I am a former teacher and I know an excellent educator when I see one!
I realize I'm a weird one, but this is why I barely rely on the algorithm on social media apps. I use the subscriptions page on UA-cam, the favourites feed on FB, and an RSS reader for blogs. For TikTok, I never go to the "for you" page but instead have a bookmarks folder of my favourite creators and go through it once or twice a day. I pretty much never see stuff I haven't deliberately subscribed to, unless I'm actively choosing to do so.
Ryan McBeth has used the example of China, while preparing to invade Taiwan, having bots spread the idea that the US is planning a colonialist operation, and that US Navy bases should be blockaded, limiting our ability to aid Taiwan.
Remember the Maine. It's yellow journalism with a modern twist. We've been doing this "psy- ops" to other countries forever. We just don't like to taste our own "psy-ops".
All of those 'legitimate national security concerns' would have a lot more impact if it weren't for the fact that we are doing absolutely nothing about all of the American-based social media companies who are all already doing those things. If an Adversarial nation wanted to have an effect on our National dialogue, they would have to start promoting important things like national secular education, social safety nets, and civics, or we wouldn't even notice.
I kept checking to see if Curious George was upside down. It sounds like you were definitely talking about a different social media platform that is owned by someone who isn’t from the United States.
We already have propaganda farms here that go completely ignored and unregulated. I'm not saying it's not a valid point, but I find the specific target on TikTok to be weak in explanation and I fear that it is more an attack on us citizens freedom of speech rather than any actual international security concerns. I'm not saying those security concerns aren't valid. I just find the whole thing to be a weak argument when these things are already issues for other social media platforms. Also worth mentioning that a lot of people's income is dependent on TikTok. It's not just mindless videos either and let's not forget that we have no problem with other people in the entertainment industry getting paid for their music, movies, TV shows etc but people scoff at someone who makes money doing TikTok videos.
Y'know, if more humans were humane and compassionate...oh wait, sorry, I was dreaming there. How 'bout if people thought more for themselves instead of blinding following others?
Howdy and happy new year. I can't believe it's been less than six months; you've put out such an insane amount of content and I'm so glad you're going strong into 2025 🎉
I hope the sale goes thru if they want to keep tiktok in America. I also hope they start regulating things much more than they are now. My Father, may he RIP, was someone who was gullible to social media. He's been gone 10 yrs now. He was so easily taken advantage of in real life, I would hate for him to be alive during this time.
it's no more or less dangerous than any other social media platform ( and they all are, as information silos condensed by algorithms and selected sources). The issue here is the controlling interest (in this case China). As the others are all primarily US based or not popular enough to warrant attention this is the us exerting it's control, because as a us based entity it then can be far more quickly and easily dealt with under us law.......
If we're going to talk about how China and other foreign entities might use social media platforms like TikTok to threaten national security.... we should similarly be talking about how billionaires from within might be doing the same.
Okay. That’s the dumb kind of “whataboutism” that Trump idiots pull out every time we do something against Russia. We banned RT and they cried about how Zuck killed the laptop story.
Dont be like them,stop riding TikTok’s nuts.
“ are”
Exactly! I've always maintained that the reason the US wants TikTok banned isn't because China could do nefarious things with it, but that the US can't use the platform for those same nefarious things, since they don't control it.
What? President elect-bought and paid for "Tusk?"
We are. This is just the most obvious and easiest target to start with thanks to laws around foreign countries who actively want to harm us. Don't stop the start of FINALLY getting some accountability being placed on social media companies because they aren't targeting the company you think should be first.
Sounds like Musk and X, why do they get a pass?
Mother Russia and the Trump campaign funds
Because they're a US company, same way it's alright with the politicians if s US ally commits the genocides.
Right
He absolutely did.
Because one constantly gets fluffed and reach arounds from the incoming POTUS. That's literally it.
So what you're saying, is that the Chinese government could use TikTok to do things that Trump, the GOP, and certain media outlets, have already been doing for a long time?
And our government doesn't want to lose their power over us.
Been working for russia and all they had to do was troll our existing apps .
That's a common thread in US politics "We're afraid someone else MIGHT do what we've been doing for years...".
Seems like the point is that they are the main target.
I think Tik Tok is trash, but to pretend it does something Fox hasn't done since the 90s is ridiculous. I recognize the potential problems with TT, I just don't think it's nearly as unique as they make it sound.
It could be uniquely powerful given its reach, but compare that with ~30 years of the exact same thing.
Dang, could someone run an info-op to shape thought on universal healthcare, high speed rail, building housing, raising the minimum wage, taxing the hell out of billionaires, fully funding education, subsidizing childcare, etc!? Asking for a friend.
For any of those, I think people have. Just not in the direction that we are hoping for
Progressives need better communication. Simply descriptions. We get caught up in details and most people just don’t follow these things closely. Keep it simple….how will it improve and help them.
Not happening.
Why? Because those things unite people.
The bad guys obtain power via division. The saying goes "divide and conquer".
Yes.
There are some but they are all small independent content creators. Dr glaucomflecken and other USA Drs on social media have been going after insurance companies for a few years now. The gravel Institute was trying to be the opposite of PragerU but I think that stopped after he passed. More Perfect union has been doing some work on a bunch of topics. I don't remember the creators name but there is a woman who move to Germany who has been going at the healthcare, support and childcare aspect compared to the US. Corporate media will not promote these ideas, the ones who benefit from the current system pays their bills.
So Tik Tok could be Fox News is what I'm hearing.
You Mean Fox News is like an attack from Australis right Wing?
Hmmmmm....
That and the app could be used to launch a 0 day exploit like what Penduoduo did. Also you can get way better data from a smartphone than you can from a data broker. ESPECIALLY for users who use privacy control services to get their data deleted from data brokers.
That's what I'm hearing! I don't understand why Fox News is still called News. Didn't they say under oath that they weren't a news station, but were strictly for entertainment? Apparently, the powers that be don't care about the damage to national security Fox has done undermining beliefs in vaccines, elections, etc. They only care about Tik Tok?
Yup, but controlled by someone other than Russia.......oops I mean the USA.....
It's so refreshing to be able to listen to someone with some damn sense at least once a day.
I think the real harm is in training an entire generation to have an attention span of less than 60 secs.
In 2009 I was a young Canadian military officer taking a mandatory professional education (university level) course on military history and technology. For the term paper, we were required to choose at a new or emerging technology and describe how it would be or could be used for military purposes. I chose the Internet, specifically social media, and argued that it could be used for information operations (io) to influence the public opinion in liberal western democracy resulting in changing government policy. This is because in the in liberal western democracies the government responds to what the public wants. The example I used was using social media to change the public support for the war the Afghanistan and for the public to call for a withdrawal from the war. Over the last five years, I have repeatedly said to my husband “I never thought the thesis of my paper would come true, and I really wish I had been wrong”.
Yeah back in 1999 I wrote a paper about the unseen but pervasive influence of Ayn Rand in our culture and politics. Sure wish that had gone down the drain along with the Y2K scare. But nope. It’s still here and nastier than ever.
@@BC25citizenThough he’s gone, I’m not sure but I think Ryan was huge Ayn Rand fan. That tax bill that exploded the debt and gave billionaires a tax break on Trump’s first go around? That was RYAN’S work; he wrote either a portion of it or a BIG portion of it. And then he bailed. To his own private island, no doubt.
FWIW I think you should be proud of your foresight. I was in Cadets when I was 16 and when I was 18 an enlisted friend tried to recruit me. He said "we desperately need people who aren't stupid." This was Yellowknife in 2001 so... context. Anyways, I didn't end up joining because, while there were many admirable individuals serving, the institution as a whole looked like a dumpster fired and I didn't like the idea of having my life and/or life's work squandered by fools.
Canadian society in general is IMO rather moribund and stagnant - the people at the top are trying like heck to keep everything the way it is because any change is a potential threat to their gravy train. The military is probably the best example of this - at the root of its various problems is the fact that voting Canadians do not want to talk or think about their own national security.
Haha TLDR I'm glad you were thinking of our national security. I'm sorry that your foresight was squandered. Also I'm deeply sorry I haven't been able to interest Canadians in talking or thinking about their own national security. The world is unsafe and America is unreliable and Canadians are largely uninterested in these problems.
@@neillore7332 you’re enlisted friend was right though. We need people who are intelligent and want to move things forward. It takes a lot of patience to put up with the BS when you’re at the bottom of the totem pole and slowly work your way up to the point where you can influence things.
I do want to reassure you that there are smart people who care deeply about national security working in that field in Canada. To be totally honest our biggest issue is that our politicians just don’t care. They are too focused on winning the next election and whatever personally benefits them. I honestly think that the few smart moves that our current government have made with respect to national security are because outside influences said you need to pay attention. All the briefing notes and reports in the world don’t mean anything the damn politicians don’t read it. Based on my observations were working at headquarters, our previous government, the one that was in office when I wrote my paper, didn’t care either. The only difference between the two governments was the earlier one pretended like they cared (really they didn’t). I don’t know how much of this is because the public doesn’t care or how much the public doesn’t care is because politicians don’t care or if it’s a feed forward cycle. 🤷♀️
I’ve since medically released/retired so I no longer have an inside scoop. I just pray that Canadians wake the F up with what’s going on south of us, around the world and in our own country. 🤞
This is definitely happening in Canada today. Anti trade, anti globalism, anti abortion, anti immigration. All the usual far right talking points are exploding in the comments section of every news report I've seen for years.
Tenet media and their deep ties to Russia are already public. We know there was some involvement of US evangelical groups with the "freedom convoy". The support I see for trump online by people claiming to be Canadian does not jibe with my daily interactions with my conservative Co workers and neighbors.
Our country is being stolen from us, one thought changing post at a time.
So Tik Tok is actually a Fox News app?
hee-hee!
But not controlled by Russia....I mean the USA....
@@lauraholt9821 or *do* you? 😄
And Facebook?
Other countries ban American social media platforms. They've recognized the magnitude of the influence any worldwide communications can have on official national policies.
Yes. I've been hoping for a long time my country would do that.
High Peeps... Propaganda operations are always ongoing...
Nice explainer, Miss Belle...
Many people on the left are still not acknowledging how their favorite demotivational diatribes--were pushed and amplified by Putin.
Maybe this will help them understand--it wasn't just MAGA who were being played.
Control the Narrative.
“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.”
― George Orwell, 1984
Love that quote from Orwell.
‘It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.’
"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."
Niccolò Machiavelli, 'The Prince'
The best counter is teaching critical thinking. Otherwise, people are simply left vulnerable to the next big social media site.
Oh they can’t do that!! People capable of critical thinking might ask questions the rulers don’t wanna have to answer!
@@neilish13 Isn't that the point? Democracies aren't supposed to have rulers.
@@nevarmaor And that's the point of the point. Wannabe rulers don't like (functioning) democracies.
@@altrag Umm, thanks Mister Obvious.
"Increase domestic strife & unrest by amplifying racist messaging and convince people of every silly notion the Pres.-elect has." THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT ELON HAS DONE WITH X. (And he is a US citizen!!!)
Illegal citizen. He lied on his application. He should be deported, his companies siezed.
Yes that's the point Belle is making.
he's a citizen on paper. his actual MO is to bring this country down. he's still a south african white supremacist.
These days, anything social media is indeed hazardous to your health...💙
🤔, true possible
Actually, no. But if you have lazy habits, that’s what you get.
I am so glad I never got on TikTok. Shoot I barely check my LinkedIn acct. No FB either for other reasons
Hazardous is a good word choice. Bad things could happen, but the chances are greatly reduced by knowing the risks and taking care.
THIS is social media.
I'm honestly shocked that this isn't obvious and needs explanation. This just crumbled my already bad perception of US education system.
I perceive this as high school level basic education of information processing, social studies, media literacy and power dynamics.
But I'm very content that Belle has given it a good and fair response.
Could China also be gathering data On individual Tick Tock users And Possibly Blackmail some of them?
@@peteo5704Yes.
Thanks, Belle. We as a population have, in large part, welcomed social media into our lives and self-concepts without too much thought to the consequences. There were some warning us more than a decade ago, but most of us accepted the convience without understanding the implications. We tend to either assume tech is innocuous, or at least neutral, or that protection is built somewhere in the system, rather than considering the motivations behind those who control and regulate it. Thanks for the question, and the response.
Very well said. I don't get it - Psyops 101 isn't hard to grasp with a little reading and some thought.
Wait for AI to hit it's stride, that's gonna "influence" more than just the low info / "poorly educated" types in all kinds of ways.
Wow. Clear and concise as always, Belle. I have never heard the security threat of TikTok so well explained as this video.
Propaganda and the inability to discern fact from fiction is the leading cause of chaos and suffering
Based on "thought shaping" Meta and X are are security risks as well.
Sounds like what Musk does on X. Also the way YT keeps putting fascists in my feed no many how many times I tell them to block them.
I'll bet that Husk is drooling at the prospect of adding TikTok to Xchan.
Same with Facebook. My feed was spammed by multiple allegedly non-political pages with the same copy pasted memes over and over. I thought it would ease off after the election, but nope. Partly my fault for sometimes clicking on them to argue about it I suppose.
Same
@@dorkangel1076 Exactly. You engaged with them so now the algorithm thinks you want more. I bet the same is true for the OP. I will put money that the OP also thinks that ANY thing conservative leaning is fascist.
@@robo5013 it was interesting that as many of those commenting for it were also commenting against it. These seem more like fake accounts farming clicks as despite the wide range of topics these pages claimed to support they were all posting the exact same memes with the same hash tags and the same comment. However the memes themselves were all pushing simplistic conservative talking points. I never saw any pushing progressive talking points, despite following some progressive sites.
Thank you Belle and Team. Thank you for the question.
Thanks Belle. That was a great way to answer that question.
Dan Bella here you go again explaining things so clearly
YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO OUR PEOPLE!
ONLY WE CAN DO THAT TO OUR PEOPLE!
1:41 i saw the " im not voting" trend being pushed by tiktok.
Very good question. And answer. Journalists are notorious for overestimating the understanding of a huge swath of their listeners. The listeners aren't stupid, they just don't know until they know, and no one is explaining. Maddow was awful about this. She'd throw out an idea and then look at the camera with a "Can you believe it?" look and sometimes we'd know what she meant and other times we'd be wondering if an explanation was ever gonna show up. It rarely did. So, very good question.
Excellent answer 🎉
There are no stupid questions, and you're not dense for not knowing; you're intelligent for asking.
Have a great day Belle 😊
💙💙👍💙💙🐎❓🤔❓🤔
You only stupid question is the one you don't ask
Cambridge Analytica, New York Post, Twitter (Musk + Russia + Saudi Arabia), Facebook, Fox Mews, TikTok etc
Ya like JR influencing American men, glad to see Kat Williams didn’t bite on JRs immigration comment.
Good evening, Ranch Fam. Hope everyone had a good second of January. Stay warm.
👋🏻😴
Howdy!
/ᐠ - ˕ -マ✩°｡𝖧𝗈⍵ᑯɣ Donald!
@@Erin-Thor
✺◟( ᐛ )◞✺✧Hιყα! Erin ཻུ۪✩°｡
Good evening also good Donald! I hope you had a great day today! 2025 has been quiet here. I haven't left the house all year! ;-)
Be well. Stay safe!
So I'm rarely sarcastic but, Trump being elected again already eroded what little trust I has in public institutions.
Forget the institutions, what about the people?
❤Belle, ❤THANK YOU for NOT putting horrible closeup FACE PHOTOS of awful POLITICAL FIGURES on your titles!!!❤I LOVE THAT YOU USE YOUR OWN LOVELY FACE on all the titles!! I have unsubscribed from other channels just cuz I am DONE LOOKING at their HORRIBLE PHOTOS EVERYDAY just to get basic NEWS UPDATES! Love you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
At AT&T they don't allow TikTok on any company devices, citing a government warning that devices with the app loaded transfer exponentially higher data, especially when charging IF your email addresses contain a major company or educational suffix. (Like AT&T, Apple, Ford, whatever) They also cited incidences of products in development where products hit the market in other countries containing all of the exact specifications that were in the companies data. Projects where a Chinese company underbid American companies by a very small amount, it was a very scary read.
That does sound scary Erin-Thor! I can understand their point in corporate situations.
I don't see this kind of stuff brought up enough. The amount of useful data you can get from a smartphone is so much better than the stuff they can buy from databrokers. They can use real time location data to have someone tail you and gather dirt to compromise you among other things. Remember when Belle told us a few weeks ago that China has been conducting the largest espionage campaign in history? I would not be surprised if Tik Tok is part of it.
@@Erin-Thor Well described, Erin. Now I'm scared too! I'd be afraid to buy a Chinese car even if it was the cheapest, and even though I lead a boring life that wouldn't garner the Chinese any helpful information, only because I would FEEL spied on. It would be seriously creepy. 😬
This is also why cell phones, Bluetooth enabled devices, wi-fi enabled devices, recording devices, and cameras are not allowed in certain companies that deal with ummmm....large contracts from federal customers.....especially military customers.
Cell phones aren't allowed in the building at all. No matter what apps are, or are not on your device.
@lauraholt9821 Thank you, Laura. I didn't know that, but it's a great idea. Hackers are so sophisticated. 🔎
Hello Belle, Beau, and Team,
Thank you for covering this topic.
I would like to see your all's thoughts on the recent Net-Neutrality decision. This is a battle I have fought many times and would like to see more coverage on as it's becoming an issue once again.
I second that! I was so happy when the FCC reinstated the rule. As soon as the Loper Bright decision came out, I knew it would be used against net neutrality.
and none of it's any worse than what our own politicians and media do via dozens of other sources
Thanks for clarifying this Belle.
Thank you Belle and team. That was a good explainer. Many more points than I'd thought of. 🌸
The fur may hit the fan before the inauguration... 🇨🇦
👋🏻😴
⋆˚ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭༘𝖧𝗈⍵ᑯɣ Crystal!
@@MissyGail4eva -- Missy! Hugs dear!!! My day is now complete now that you are here!
Yes... it's going to be wild. I just hope that it is peaceful. I do NOT want another January 6th.
It's hard to guess what could have next around here.
I hope you have a beautiful night sparkling Crystal!
I've always assumed that the natsec concern was tiktok has camera/audio access to devices it's installed on and they're worried about every phone with tiktok being turned into a bug.
As a military veteran who worked in areas where cell phones and any electronic had to be locked up prior to entering the building, this was my greatest concern, because this is a national security issue.
The argument about TikTok being used for information operations, applies to every other social media platform as well. The only difference between TikTok and other social media platforms, is that the algorithm for TikTok is very closely guarded by the Chinese government. Calling that national security issue is a little bit of a stretch in my opinion. But is it more concerning than other platforms? IMO yes.
Power coupons are the motivating reason for the social media sale.
Given youtube's algorithms that amplify MAGA garbage, I'm not sure those well-reasoned points shouldn't also apply to youtube, and perhaps others.
The only reason you get maga bs on your YT feed is because you interact with it.
If you go arguing in the comments or thumbs downing whatever video it is,you boost it in the algorithm and make it think you want to see more of that kind of stuff. I ignored it and guess what,no more maga crap on my feed.
That’s just a skill issue my friend stop taking the bait
The USA wants those unrestricted to use against other countries (and to 'massage' the opinions of their own electorate), though.
Yes that's the point
Maybe you just look for it, or more likely just think that things that don't 100% align with your politics must be MAGA when they're not. Right now to the right of my screen is YT recommending more political videos and 99% of them are from the left. If you're getting recommendations for right leaning videos that means that you have engaged with them.
I've been waiting for someone to say this out loud. Thank you.
Thank you for the update on what could play out and possibly has
Whenever it is wherever you are, I hope it's a good time for you!
👋🏻💓😴
/ᐠ - ˕ -マ✩°｡𝖧𝗈⍵ᑯɣ Victoria!
Wonderful here, how about there? 😊
My office spoiled me for my bday tomorrow. I am taking a long weekend 🧀🏈😀✌️
@@Erin-Thor 😉🦋
I admire you greatly. I hope your husband is feeling well. I'm sending you both a cold Guinness via electronic bits!! Lisa
The real nat/sec issue here is, and I should say quite glaringly, the incoming administration and what we have as to a Congress...
Not to mention, but to mention, the maga governors and lower officers.
Maybe that’s why he no longer wants to ban TT.
Just what the world needs - another platform where freedom is defined by billionaires.
Never use that platform thanks Belle informed lady
Seems like that horse has already left the barn....
zackly
Does the same apply to X(Twitter) being owned by South Africa?
Should.
And isn't Zuck introducing fake AI "commentors" to stir engagement??
Bunch of money for that transaction came from Saudis
Yeah no.
Twitter is owned by X Corp, headquartered in Texas. Most of X Corp is owned by Elon Musk, a US citizen since 2002.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, headquartered in Beijing. I don't know if the Chinese Communist Party actually officially owns part of ByteDance, but there is plenty of opportunity for them to pull some strings or whatever.
But mostly, the US is not in competition with South Africa the way it is with China. The issue with X is that Musk is the richest man to ever exist, not that he comes from South Africa. 🤷
Musk has already done more damage to the US than China ever could. Even more than trump.
Thank you, Belle, for explaining the issue with TikTok.
Why would China or any other country need Tiktoc? They already have full access to every other platform with full control in their own country in order for those platforms to operate there. All this hysteria over Tiktoc was the result of lobbying by their competitors cuz they were losing market share
Elon Musk did that exact thing on X...
Is it not a security risk because he's technically a US Citizen...who has major stakes in the Chinese economy?
My sentiments exactly.
Absolutely 💯 🎯
It's the 'our' versus 'their' thing. Empires always claim that what OTHER empires do or might do is a horrific abomination and a threat, even when they've been doing the same thing for years. It usually works, too.
OUR necessary investigations in accordance with (classified) best practices, THEIR horrible scary rights-violating surveillance.
OUR public relations spending, THEIR insidious mind control campaigns.
Two perspectives on the same behaviour, which is which entirely a matter of which empire you're from. Of course, as a third party, I'm just mad at the empires in general for how effectively they keep an oligopoly on media. I barely experienced the 'old' decentralized Internet, and I miss it dearly...
Thank you for this information Ms. Belle. I too, was wondering whats the big hub bub about...thanks again
Hi Belle, thanks for enlightening me on something I know next to nothing about.
All that is happening on Facebook already.
The Internet is what screwed America
Thank you for simplifying this.😊
Thank you,Belle.😎🇺🇸💙
isnt that already happening with our government and social media?? nobody is in control and we dont get information on gaza dead babies,,,we are so protected it is infuriating
Thanks for the details. 😊
The more ordinary citizens are empowered, the stronger this works. Especially when they are not good at critical thinking.
I'm not sure that empowering people who can't reason their way through an issue/problem will make things better. Those are the sorts of people that need *_*hard core*_* education *_*before*_* empowerment.
I have a serious problem with the idea of empowering others. I say, you can't. All you can do is offer education and support but it makes no difference unless I empower myself by accepting and running with it.
This question is a perfect example of why American workers are inadequate.
To the person who asked this, and to Belle, who took the time to answer (without making us listeners who honestly didn't know feel dumb) thank you! I am one of those who have been searching for an answer I simply could not find! SO grateful for you! I am a former teacher and I know an excellent educator when I see one!
By the third "they could" I checked the patch on your hat. They sounded very familiar.
Wait a tick... isn't all that already happening?
Extremely well-written. Impressive.
So true, the internet never forgets
Hi everyone
Don't we already have this with X?
👋🏻💓😴
It certainly feels like that to me Pilgrim.
Thank you Belle and Team.
Beau did a video on this already. Way back when this first started.
As a Tortollan over in World of Warcraft once said,
"Knowledge is power. Except stupid knowledge. Avoid that if you can."
So then all social media, broadcast nedia, and print media should be banned...and the gop also?
I realize I'm a weird one, but this is why I barely rely on the algorithm on social media apps. I use the subscriptions page on UA-cam, the favourites feed on FB, and an RSS reader for blogs. For TikTok, I never go to the "for you" page but instead have a bookmarks folder of my favourite creators and go through it once or twice a day. I pretty much never see stuff I haven't deliberately subscribed to, unless I'm actively choosing to do so.
Hey Ms Belle and internet folks.
Ryan McBeth has used the example of China, while preparing to invade Taiwan, having bots spread the idea that the US is planning a colonialist operation, and that US Navy bases should be blockaded, limiting our ability to aid Taiwan.
In short, Why do you think elon spent millions to purchase twitter now "X"?? Psychological operations.
Remember the Maine. It's yellow journalism with a modern twist. We've been doing this "psy- ops" to other countries forever. We just don't like to taste our own "psy-ops".
Thank you Belle again from Sterling Heights Michigan USA
👋🏻😴
I had a lot of fun when I lived in Sterling heights
Thank You Belle and Team for the News Highlights and Observations.
"They could" really should be "they are" and "they have been." International and domestic.
All of those 'legitimate national security concerns' would have a lot more impact if it weren't for the fact that we are doing absolutely nothing about all of the American-based social media companies who are all already doing those things. If an Adversarial nation wanted to have an effect on our National dialogue, they would have to start promoting important things like national secular education, social safety nets, and civics, or we wouldn't even notice.
I kept checking to see if Curious George was upside down. It sounds like you were definitely talking about a different social media platform that is owned by someone who isn’t from the United States.
Already done! They're eating the lies 😅😂😢
Thanks Belle!
Good question. Thanks for asking
We already have propaganda farms here that go completely ignored and unregulated. I'm not saying it's not a valid point, but I find the specific target on TikTok to be weak in explanation and I fear that it is more an attack on us citizens freedom of speech rather than any actual international security concerns. I'm not saying those security concerns aren't valid. I just find the whole thing to be a weak argument when these things are already issues for other social media platforms.
Also worth mentioning that a lot of people's income is dependent on TikTok. It's not just mindless videos either and let's not forget that we have no problem with other people in the entertainment industry getting paid for their music, movies, TV shows etc but people scoff at someone who makes money doing TikTok videos.
So grateful for you and your staff providing answers to our questions.
Y'know, if more humans were humane and compassionate...oh wait, sorry, I was dreaming there. How 'bout if people thought more for themselves instead of blinding following others?
Let's just have Elon buy it and fold it into "X". That'll fix everything.
Follow the money. See who stands to benefit. No matter the topic,it usually is just that simple
Well if they are that worried about that time to shut down FB, X, Fox News, heck just shut it all down.
Howdy and happy new year. I can't believe it's been less than six months; you've put out such an insane amount of content and I'm so glad you're going strong into 2025 🎉
thanks. you guys always have a great way of writing in crayons so we can get on the train.
The people questioning these tactics never played a long healthy and semi-diplomatic win on Civilization and it shows
I hope the sale goes thru if they want to keep tiktok in America. I also hope they start regulating things much more than they are now. My Father, may he RIP, was someone who was gullible to social media. He's been gone 10 yrs now. He was so easily taken advantage of in real life, I would hate for him to be alive during this time.
People on Facebook are able to share stuff from tic tok anyway.
So basically, X, Truth Social and Fox News... but its fine because they are American companies... sigh
it's no more or less dangerous than any other social media platform ( and they all are, as information silos condensed by algorithms and selected sources). The issue here is the controlling interest (in this case China). As the others are all primarily US based or not popular enough to warrant attention this is the us exerting it's control, because as a us based entity it then can be far more quickly and easily dealt with under us law.......