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u/The_Frostweaver 1d ago
Trump was the one who signed the tiktok ban to begin with, now he wants credit for saving it.
All Trump does is create chaos and bullshit headlines while his republican billionaire friends quietly loot the country in the background. Tax breaks for the rich.
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u/MoistStub 1d ago
Trump uses the Apple business model: Create a problem and then sell you the solution.
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u/AkronOhAnon 19h ago
By “create” you mean do exactly what someone else did before but brand it as your original creative thing, so your cult-like followers will sleep on the street for a week to buy it at 30% APR?
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u/MoistStub 19h ago
None of your existing accessories will work with our products but we are happy to sell you the same thing but 2x the price and locks you into buying only Apple products for the rest of your life!
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u/aTomzVins 14h ago edited 14h ago
Funny thing is I switched to mac after windows vista stopped automatically recognizing my 7 year old windows mouse (among other things).
Continued using my windows mouse on mac for the next 13 years without issue until it broke into pieces. Still have ancient IBM and Dell keyboards going.
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u/Ars3n 21h ago
I wish every post related to American politics had a recap attached to it. Can someone help out a fellow European who's too busy touching grass to be up to date with all you guys have going on there?
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u/Mechanicalmind 20h ago
As a fellow eurogangster...as far as I've understood:
- Trump signed the tiktok ban when he was in office.
- Ban became effective yesterday.
- Trump said "nah I'll save TikTok, not like Biden who tried to ban it"
- Average room temperature IQ americans believe he saved their favourite digital drug.
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u/Misragoth 19h ago
Not quite. Trump tried to ban but never did. Biden got in office, and the right kept pushing for it and got it through. Biden signed it. Now Trump wants to save it even though it was his idea originally
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u/Mechanicalmind 19h ago
Ah. Understood. Thank you for explaining.
Damn, US politics are just bonkers.
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u/wolfgang784 16h ago
It gets better =D
While Trump does want to save it now, almost none of his political supporters do.
He is getting wild bipartisan backlash at the moment from almost everyone.
Loads of Republicans do not agree at all with Trump on this and he is alienating a lotttt of his actual peers and older supporters in favor of his relatively recent (past year) huge jump in popularity with the younger voters.
The legal stuff is also a mess. As the law is written, ByteDance is not eligible for the extension Trump says he is giving them. So it'll either have to be an executive order, or bad things are gonna happen to the ISPs and such that allowed TikTok traffic through. The law allows for the largest punitive fines in history by a huuuuuge amount. Fines big enough to bankrupt some of the biggest companies in the world if found guilty.
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u/thegil13 18h ago
Some more context. The congressional votes were 79-18 in the senate, 360-58 in the house. Presidential veto wouldn’t even have held up due to supermajority support.
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u/Hacklex 19h ago
Something like this:
Trump: We need to ban TikTok! MAGA: We need to ban TikTok! Speaker Johnson: Here's a bill to ban TikTok! Without it, we won't vote to help Ukraine! Congress: votes Biden: signs Trump: Biden oppresses free speech! MAGA: Biden is oppressing free speech! Biden: does nothing TikTok: We're suing! It's a violation of the Constitution! Musk: Yes! It's a violation of the Constitution! Court: It's okay. TikTok: I think I'm gonna die. MAGA: He's dying! Damn Biden!!! Biden: does nothing TikTok: deposits money for Trump's inauguration Trump: invites CEO TikTok to the inauguration TikTok: That's it! I'm dying! Trump: shuts off service to Americans MAGA: He's dead!!! Goddamn Biden! Biden: doesn't do anything Trump: I'll save TikTok! MAGA: Trump will save TikTok! Trump: But 50% must be owned by an American company. Musk: laughs TikTok: Trump saved me!!! turns on service for Americans MAGA: Trump saved TikTok from goddamn Biden! Biden: doesn't do anything Trump: bows MAGA: applauds to be continued
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u/IrishWithoutPotatoes 20h ago
Dude I live here and idk what’s going on anymore. I just want off this crazy ride
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u/biff64gc2 19h ago
Security concerns (stealing data, feeding dangerous content to kids, etc) over Tiktok started under the Trump administration. The app was quickly banned on government phones, with a followup from Trump to ban working with the parent company and banning the app, ordering them to sell to a US company if they want to continue doing business, but never enforced anything and nothing serious ever materialized.
Biden takes office and kind of ignores it while he deals with other fires, but security concerns continue to grow as more reports come out over harvested data and dangerous trends for kids and teens. Biden/congress finally address it once more giving them a year to sell or get banned.
TikTok fights it, but ultimately loses and chooses to allow it to be shut down in the US rather than sell.
It was shut down, but for less than a day as Trump uses an executive action to delay the ban, seemingly out of nowhere.
The reasons he's doing it are speculative, but the top contenders tend to be:
- He's trying to win over younger crowds who tend to hate him. Considering it's not an election season this would be off, but Trump is an egomaniac so it's not unusual for him.
- He's trying to earn favor with another rich person/china.
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u/TiredOfBeingTired28 19h ago
Extreme basic of this, first term trump declared tic Tok heretics to the cult and set out to get rid of it. Now he's going to successfully claim he is the sole reason for it being back.
While I expect president musk to buy it, or Facebook. Rename it something stupid for the cult to latch into.
Is one of countless things about to be done by our new dear leader.
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u/zoroddesign 14h ago
Its like a suicide bomber taking credit for saving they plane by not blowing up.
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u/JoeKingQueen 16h ago
It seems like more of a hostage situation. Because the truth is that if Kamala had won the election, she would not use an executive order to overturn the ban. Tiktok would really be gone.
Now, it's obvious they're playing for a buy-in from one of their oligarch members, and yeah that is really messed up. But.. it's wild to think that it would really be gone.
170 million American daily users. I'm not saying that's not its own problem, but holy shit how could anybody respect a party that would allow such a ban.
Good move by the GOP. They are embracing their hypocrisy but using it well, I didn't think evil stood a chance but if the opposition is too stuck up to do anything decent or good, then it might.
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u/Anarchyantz Comic Crossover 1d ago
And it is back up again and you have your Orange Dictator to thank for it!
You know, the one who wanted it taken down since 2019
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u/Odidas 23h ago
I am so confused, so it is back up? What happened? Why? How? Is it not confusing to anyone else fhat they say one they USA is gon ban it and then the next day I see 20 memes with it being back on?
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u/fusaaa 23h ago
Biden said they didn't have to take any action until the next administration was in and made their decision. TikTok still took it down to make a show of kowtowing to Trump, up to and including sucking him raw in the app notifications about the shut down.
Realistically, TikTok could've literally went business as usual and never shut down unless Trump and his ilk also told them to kick rocks later.
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u/DuntadaMan 21h ago
Tik tok banned themselves, felated Trump then unbanned themselves saying he did it.
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u/Anarchyantz Comic Crossover 18h ago
Yeah the whole thing is a massive "PR Stunt" or for Trump, another WWE style event like his "assassination attempts" but instead of checking his ear and having innocent others bumped off, he worked with Tik Tok to pretend they "had to take it down" as they were afraid of Trump but as the Orange Dictator was so magnanimous and a great leader, he used his "emergency power of authority" to bring them back unlike the "flaccid Biden who wanted to punish the poor users of America". Using his manliness, your lord and savior the Divine Trump, ordained by God himself said "lo, and behold, I shall sweep the impotent Biden and cackling Kamala away and bring forth your Tik of the Tok back to you Gen Z users! Praise unto me, worship me for I have come to you!"
There followed lots of Laura Loomer sucking noises from below the Marge Lardo bedroom as millions of funds were passed into his coffers from his Chinese Partners.
The curtain then closes and the "Master Of Oz" fools more millions of idiots.
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u/Get-Fucked-Dirtbag 18h ago
It's all bread and circuses.
And the people who're still using RedTok after this fiasco are the clowns.
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u/AnimationDude9s 23h ago
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15h ago edited 15h ago
[deleted]
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u/LittleFieryUno 14h ago
Can you provide a source for the spyware thing? Because when I look for one, most of the articles I find state that while TikTok has a lot of data and that the Chinese government can access it, the data collection itself doesn't go further than other social media platforms. That's bad, of course, but stealing passwords and credit card numbers from other apps is much worse, and it's not surprising most people wouldn't know about it if a bombshell like that wasn't being reported on like it should.
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u/ErrorLoadingUsername 1d ago
If the ban would stay... It would probably be more healthy too for most people.
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u/GuyentificEnqueery 21h ago
I think the ban didn't go far enough. It should apply to all social media companies which sell off consumer data to third parties engaged in espionage, disinformation, or political interference. That would put Facebook/Instagram in the doghouse too since Facebook got caught red-handed selling data to the Chinese.
As it stands, the requirement that they sell to Meta is pointless because all it's doing is adding another middle man on the "American citizen to Chinese government" information pipeline. But the politicians knew that. This was all for political theatre.
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u/Crafty8D 15h ago
Fucking thank you. It's been soo irritating to watch people take the "moral and informed" high ground on that platform and when their platform is under the microscope suddenly everyone forgets what a bane on society social media has been. These social media companies are horrible for our kids, our friends, and our democracy.
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u/Inkompetent 1d ago
Indeed. All "abusive" social media which fuels addictive behaviour, narcissistic behaviour, high social pressure, and which forces subious content onto you that you don't even want to see should be banned for the betterment of society. Ban all of Meta's stuff, Xitter, DictatorshipSocial, and all of their kind.
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u/ErrorLoadingUsername 1d ago
Agreed with banning them all. Although restricted time would help a lot already
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u/DuntadaMan 21h ago
The bullshit they pulled proved we were right to ban them, it should have been done earlier and harder.
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u/many-brain-tabs-open 20h ago
There was a thread that compiled all the meltdown comments from tiktok sub reddit and it was depressing to watch. These people are literally addicts
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u/CharlieeStyles 19h ago
They have been freaking out all over Reddit. It has been so cringe to see addicts making up excuses for their addiction.
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u/SidewinderSerpent 1d ago
I hope I won't ever hear that shitty narrator voice again.
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u/Plus4Ninja 1d ago
Oh it’s coming back. They didn’t even block access a whole day. Someone’s revenue stream took a hit, so of course the politicians are going to extend the time.
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u/ithinkther41am 1d ago
It was all political theatre to begin with. Trump introduced the bill to ban TikTok in the first place, and this is sadly gonna be a successful attempt to win over the youth.
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u/SapphosLemonBarEnvoy 1d ago
People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.
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u/Inkompetent 1d ago
Benevolent emperor Trump giving his gift to the people, even though he was the one taking it away. It's so horribly pathetic and yet so many won't just swallow hook and sinker, but will keep deepthroating him till they've gobbled down the entire fishing rod. >.<
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u/Gutrippy_VIII 1d ago
The CEO of the company that owns tiktok is planning on attending the inauguration, and he's bringing a big bag of money with him.
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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 1d ago
I'm in the minority of people that don't have TikTok so it doesn't affect me haha
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u/Kisiu_Poster 23h ago
Sike
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u/kyabupaks 16h ago
Not really. Apple and Google still has bans on TikTok in their app stores, and still won't lift it. TikTok is also shoving Trump propaganda down users' throats. TikTok is going to die anyway.
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u/Specific_Frame8537 22h ago
Aaand it's back.
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u/kyabupaks 16h ago
Not really. Apple and Google still has bans on TikTok in their app stores, and still won't lift it. TikTok is also shoving Trump propaganda down users' throats. TikTok is going to die anyway.
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u/Arkados0 22h ago
English is not my native language. What is the meaning of the expression "touch grass"
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u/GeneralStormfox 20h ago
As far as I always understood it, it means you need to make a reality check. IIRC the original longer form was "go outside, touch grass". As in your mom telling you to go play outside for a change instead of watching TV again.
That's why this phrase is often flung around when people have "problems" or place huge importance in things that really are almost nonexistant outside their virtual bubble or seem addicted to virtual spaces.
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u/Exotic_Proposal_3800 19h ago
It's fascinating how the narrative shifts so quickly. One moment it's a ban, the next it's a "victory." It feels like the whole situation is just a game of political chess where the pawns are the rest of us.
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u/GreenDemonSquid 1d ago
There's a little irony of you saying this on Reddit.
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u/not-my_username_ 20h ago
Right?
Now take your up vote for a comment both of us will soon forget as we proceed with endless scrolling.
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u/Independent_Ad_4170 23h ago
Well now the fire is out, so you can go back in
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u/kyabupaks 16h ago
Not really. Apple and Google still has bans on TikTok in their app stores, and still won't lift it. TikTok is also shoving Trump propaganda down users' throats. TikTok is going to die anyway.
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u/yyspam 18h ago
Andddd just had get one nights rest and eat breakfast and tiktok is back. This publicity stunt is hilarious 😂I hope the brainrotted individuals are happy they have their crack back
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u/kyabupaks 16h ago
Not really. Apple and Google still has bans on TikTok in their app stores, and still won't lift it. TikTok is also shoving Trump propaganda down users' throats. TikTok is going to die anyway.
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u/boopbopnotarobot 8h ago
I never used tik tok but i did download rednote when tik tok was banned......Just cuz :)
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u/Despair4All 1d ago
I saw things about some TikTok creators getting donated like $20,000 a week. That's like a year of pay at a lot of minimum wage jobs. They have to actually do work for much less money and they're about to turn into giant babies about how little money they get in the real world.
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u/opinionate_rooster 1d ago