this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2025
251 points (100.0% liked)

Technology

67422 readers
3537 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 206 points 2 months ago (8 children)

Meanwhile, American users are flocking to RedNote because authorities have worked themselves into a lather over privacy concerns about TikTok, while U.S. tech giants harvest user data with industrial efficiency. The difference? American data collection is done for profit, and Chinese data collection is done for control. Pick your poison.

Hard to argue Zuck and Elon don't want control either...

[–] fan0m@lemmy.world 96 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (7 children)

I’d argue profit and control are two sides of the same coin

[–] ElderReflections@fedia.io 24 points 2 months ago (3 children)

"In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women."

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 15 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Then, when all your desires are fullfilled, you realize that your life is empty because nobody around you actually gives a shit about you and are only using you as a connection to money and/or power. You end up a soulless husk of a human being whose only goal in life is line go up.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (6 replies)
[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 30 points 2 months ago (5 children)

Isn't it the exact opposite? The only thing China can do with my data is try to sell me stuff. Meanwhile, the authorities in my own country have the power to kick in my door and drag me away to some blacksite.

If I were Chinese, I would rather the US government have my data than the Chinese government, but since I'm American, I would rather the Chinese government have it than the US. Pretty much everyone anywhere in the world ought to regard their own government as their highest security risk.

[–] WhatSay@slrpnk.net 8 points 2 months ago

The only thing China can do with my data is try to sell me stuff.

Anyone that collects your data could use it for many legal and illegal activities. If you see it only as marketing, you are not imagining the possibilities of stolen identity, fraud, blackmail, etc.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] coherent_domain@infosec.pub 29 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

How do people not think that China is also a hyper capitalistic society, especially in the tech sector. Your data is 100% being sold if you are on any Chinese platform, just like in the U.S.

If anything, Chinese big tech tends to be less privacy-respecting than the west, because they don't need to operate in area with basic privacy laws, like Europe and California; and there are much less alternative products to choose from because of the GFW.

The founder and CEO of Baidu openly stated that "Chinese people are less sensitive about privacy, which gives us more data to work with" See https://m.163.com/dy/article/DDRTB01Q0511FQO9.html?spss=adap_pc

[–] taladar@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

They all operate under the same laws in any given area. And neither respect your privacy if not forced by laws that are actually enforced.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 14 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The difference? American data collection is done for profit, and Chinese data collection is done for control. Pick your poison.

No the difference is that these US companies give the US government a backdoor into everyone's data (while also harvesting it all for profit) while the Chinese apps don't in favor of giving the Chinese government a backdoor into everyone's data. They don't give a shit about propaganda and brainwashing occurring which is why they'll allow the app to stay up in the US just so long as it's an American company controlling it here because then they can install their backdoor for the US government.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 months ago

profit is simply a means of seeking control...

[–] kid2908@slrpnk.net 12 points 2 months ago

The article talks about how America is mirroring China's tactic. So yeah, now they want control too.

[–] takeda@lemm.ee 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

This is crystal clear now, but it was less clear before.

I started saying that social media finally figured out how to monetize the platform and it's customers aren't people, aren't even companies, the customers are now billionaires and foreign governments.

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

foreign governments

The influence of foreign governments is negligible next to what the US exerts on us. Americans have the jester's privilege, we can say whatever we want, as long as they know it doesn't matter. As soon as the government feels like it matters, they have a million tools to silence you.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] 21Cabbage 79 points 2 months ago

"This massive corporation sucks too!" Have you tried not going with a massive corporation?

[–] Rottcodd@lemmy.world 63 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The only winners in this scenario are governments that want more control over their citizens' digital lives.

And that, as the saying goes, is not a bug. It's a feature.

[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

Man I wish European governments would take more control of our digital town squares that are entirely owned and handled by foreign corporations who seek to erode democracy.

[–] NineMileTower@lemmy.world 60 points 2 months ago (10 children)

What happens when Americans start posting about Hong Kong not being a part of China?

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 73 points 2 months ago (3 children)

You mean mainland Taiwan? Never heard of this China.

[–] shoulderoforion@fedia.io 11 points 2 months ago

Judea and Samaria agree.

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

You know the official name of Taiwan's government is The Republic of China right?

[–] Bronzebeard@lemm.ee 17 points 2 months ago

Yeah, that's where the previous Chinese leaders fled when the communists took over...

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

That's the joke yes. Among others here. 😆

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 31 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The same as already happens on lemmy.ml 😂

[–] umami_wasbi@lemmy.ml 26 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Really? Let me try.

Hong Kong isn't part of China. Taiwan is an independent country.

Edit: oh, this community is in lemmy.world, not lemmy.ml. Still, for those disgruntled, report me for rule 2 & 6. I want to see how mods respond to this.

[–] merde@sh.itjust.works 30 points 2 months ago (5 children)

Tibet is completely forgotten 😢

[–] K1nsey6@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Tibet was CIA propaganda. The Dalai Lama org was directly paid by the CIA

[–] merde@sh.itjust.works 19 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

let's assume that statement is true, let's take the words of an anonymous internaut for truth :

CIA paid Taliban too, i remember reading. Does that make Taliban too just propaganda?

U.S. sponsored and sponsors many movements around the globe as long as their goals align. That money alone can't invalidate the cause.

Like, on the contrary, U.S. sponsorship can't validate a cause either.

i remember unsubscribing from political communities, why the heck am i responding to this comment at this hour. Completely futile! Will it change your mind? Do i really care what you will think about Tibet tomorrow?

[–] K1nsey6@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

Tibet was today's Uyghurs. its US Sinophobic propaganda.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)
[–] K1nsey6@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)
[–] horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)

That doesn't make them propaganda. Tibet exists, I've been there. I have friends living there. The CIA paid for places to put listening equipment along China's border. They did it in Cuba too. Is Castro propaganda?

You also deny that the Uyghurs are being disappeared and "reeducated". The Uyghurs are being treated just like the First Nations people in America were. Their land and customs stand in the way of Chinese "progress"

Are you paid by China? Or are you just a useful idiot?

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

https://lemmy.world/modlog/873048?page=1&modId=107790

Whoah. You're ruining /c/latestagecapitalism.....why aren't you letting other leftists in the space?

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Viri4thus@feddit.org 26 points 2 months ago

The same as when Americans posted about the gaza genocide on tik tok, the government cracks down.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 14 points 2 months ago
[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 months ago

They'll probably get mocked and their posts removed.

[–] K1nsey6@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

The same thing that's happening right now with Americans claiming Taiwan is not part of China.

[–] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 2 months ago

To shreds you say?

[–] guyoverthere123@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 months ago

Their account gets banned.

Same as any mention of Tienamen Square and anything else the Chinese Government deems unacceptable.

load more comments (3 replies)

I mean, trying to regulate technology at the speed of American politics was very obviously a nonsensical and futile proposition from the get-go.

[–] Soulifix@kbin.melroy.org 15 points 2 months ago

Lol, 700k misinformed idiot Americans you mean.

[–] don@lemm.ee 14 points 2 months ago

Anyone that knows anything about average TT users knew that if the ban was going to happen, that this was going to happen in some way, shape, or form.

[–] circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 2 months ago

**tearing everything apart

[–] DigitalNirvana@lemm.ee 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I’m pretty sure Xiao Hong Shu translates to Little Red Note in English. I’m not using it, just clarifying the name to make it seem small / cute. Aduki beans are Xiao hong dou.

[–] umami_wasbi@lemmy.ml 27 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

First of all, the name doesn't translate to "Little Red Note", but "Little Red Book."

Second, Little Red Book is literally the nickname of a Chinese political publication called Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung.

Sorry, that name isn't cute at all.

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

It's actually just a funny coincidence, though it's funny when people freak out about it. Mao's "little red book" is written 红宝书, while the app is 小红书, so the connection is only really there in English. Red is a reference to two institutions the creator was involved with, Stanford Business School and Bain & Company, both of which use red as their main color (I imagine the general association of red with good luck may have factored in as well). As for note vs book, I mean, a notebook is a "little book," and note is short for notebook (e.g. Death Note).

If you actually look at the app and what gets posted there and what doesn't, it's pretty silly to assume it's a reference. It was originally called "Hong Kong Shopping Guide" and was targeted towards tourists, the userbase skews female and relatively well off. It's like Instagram, there's lots of cat posts and the the like, lots of fashion, I've come across some pretty impressive furries, and it's even got a decent sized queer community, particularly popular with lesbians.

Even if it were an intentional reference to Mao's book, like, so what? The users are the ones putting out content and they're just regular people. Not everything is some sinister plot.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago (2 children)

LOL my god, it's really that in-your-face blatant?!

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments