Post

Karl Bode
@karlbode.com

I wrote about the cronyistic TikTok deal, and how it once again shows the U.S. is too corrupt to function in the public interest, despite a whole lot of pretense to the contrary

techdirt.comTikTok Deal Done And It’s Somehow The Shittiest Possible Outcome, Making Everything WorseThere were rumblings about this for a while, but it looks like the Trump TikTok deal is done, and it’s somehow the worst of all possible outcomes, amazingly making all of the biggest criticis…

141 reposts430 likes

Maryland Poppa
@mdpoppa.bsky.social

I would like to think that, from all this absurdity, would come out a solid...talking-point how the admin and 'the rich' are working with foreign governments (not just companies!) to fund these deals and regardless of partisanship, *every* USian should be, at least, concerned about that!

Karl Bode
@karlbode.com

I'm particularly amused by FCC boss Brendan Carr, who spent FOUR YEARS on cable news complaining endlessly about TikTok privacy and natsec issues now that they've made everything arguably worse by offloading it to Trump's buddies (but maintaining Chinese influence) he'll never talk about it again

Karl Bode
@karlbode.com

the TikTok outrage kayfabe was never actually about privacy, propaganda, or national security, it was about hijacking the profits and influence of a foreign short form social media company our clunky tech giants couldn't out innovate.

techdirt.comFacebook-Hired PR Firm Coordinated Anti-TikTok Campaign To Spread Bogus Moral PanicsLate last year, a coordinated messaging campaign emerged on the anniversary of the repeal of net neutrality. Numerous pundits and right-wing news outlets all simultaneously issued reports on the sa…
Joseph Jerome
@joejerome.com

I think there are legitimate issues, but Congress continues to have an incoherent approach to tech policy and well, the Biden administration just couldn’t see the forest for the trees.

Karl Bode
@karlbode.com

but you don't solve the issues by singling out ONE company in a seas of problems, you pass a real privacy law that applies to ALL companies and executives, and you regulate data brokers. fixating on just one company was performance

Karl Bode
@karlbode.com

Now over the next few years it will be steadily repurposed to weed out pesky voices right wing billionaires like Larry Ellison don't like, such as folks critical of Netanyahu's industrialized murder of toddlers, Trump's rampant corruption, or trans activists simply asking to be allowed to live

Karl Bode
@karlbode.com

TikTok will also be leveraged for even greater hyper-surveillance, since so many of the ownership partners (including Silver Lake, which has massive surveillance investments across China and Israel) are all about autocratic domination of the plebs It's the biggest tech policy turd ever

I Am Antifa
@iglover.bsky.social

We were so concerned about China obtaining our information for nefarious reasons that we sold the app to billionaires who can now access our data for, you guessed it, nefarious reasons. Stupid is as stupid does. I trust China more than these billionaires.

David from Wingett Run
@dzs42.bsky.social

Left tiktok the day after the election when they thanked then President Elect Trump for saving them. Miss some great content but like X I never went back and am better for it. Unfortunately we really have not found a replacement for TT and X that created a public square for debate & entertainment

Paquito Dela Cruz 🇵🇭🇩🇪🇦🇹🇳🇱🇬🇧🇪🇸🇨🇳🇮🇳(🇺🇸)
@quitodelacruz.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/quit...

Paquito Dela Cruz 🇵🇭🇩🇪🇦🇹🇳🇱🇬🇧🇪🇸🇨🇳🇮🇳(🇺🇸)@quitodelacruz.bsky.social

"Larry Ellison, founder and chairman of Oracle, reportedly joined a November 2020 call to discuss strategies for contesting the election result with Trump attorney Jay Sekulow, Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), and others who promoted election fraud narratives..." www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

brennancenter.orgThe Money Behind January 6 Is Flowing into the 2022 ElectionsBig donors who supported the insurrection and the election denial that inspired it are spending to influence this year’s races.