Technology
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Banning websites in the year 2024 is never going to work. The average user is more savvy than the average lawmaker.
IDK is the average TikTok user really installing VPN software on it's phone? And if something is banned in a country companies are far less likely to put in effort in it.
So even if people can still use it, technically, TikTok lifes of selling scam shit to people... If you have the skills to install a VPN your probably also not falling for that stuff.
I actually see that as a win. TikTok is not a platform for political discussion or private communication (by design) so I don't hate the idea of it getting banned.
Yes. From the article a, 2500% spike in VPN usage.
Yet, despite that, it's working as one. Effectively.
I'm not on tiktok but my understanding is that there's a lot of Palestinians on there whose voice otherwise wouldn't be heard from the taxpayers that are funding their genocide.
That's a very positive political consequence of the platform.
Sorry to say that but that sounds like a "Hitler built the Autobahn" argument for me. Don't be fooled TikTok is highly controlled and influenced by the Chinese government. Yes TikTok is promoting the oppression of the Palestinian people because this topic coincidentally proved to be quite effective in supporting Chinese government agenda and distract from their own problems. The voices of other oppressed people are still silenced on that very same platform, see almost every inner chines dispute.
And it's not that TikTok would be the only platform that Palestinian voices could be and are actually heard. You can speak about this on almost every other platform. Plus: if all this people would just leave TikTok and use the Fidivers instead this would be a double win for everyone including the other oppressed voices on TikTok.
I think you made a valid point, and its absurd you got down voted
I do think its ironic that you're advocating for an exodus from mainstream platforms to the fediverse. Those mainstream users are exactly the same users who don't understand what the downvote button is for..
Depends on the country. If you're in India or China, absolutely. And those countries have the largest populations on Earth by more than 4x the #3 spot.
Some are even getting randomly arrested right off the street for using them: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/man-booked-for-using-vpn-in-j-ks-rajouri-3rd-such-case-in-2-days-5612508
Just because it's much more common in those countries compared to USA or Europe to use a VPN it doesn't mean the average user there is actually using them. If there are even regions where it's forbidden to use a VPN (than that's highly concerning more than a TikTok ban or anything else!) it's even more unlikely the average user will have VPN access.
And again all of my other points I think are much more important in that thought process.
Your initial point is that if someone is capable of installing a VPN, he is probably not a tiktok user.
But VPNs nowadays are extremely easy to setup. If for a tiktok user that means that they can access tiktok even though it is bannes in their country, they will follow a guide to set up a VPN, or a friend will show them.
There is literally no knowledge involved in that. So i'm not sure why you think VPN users are above that.
It worked for Netflix, it will work for tiktok.
No my initial point is, that if you are boarding with how to setup a VPN you are probably not the main user that TikTok is generating money from.
Plus companies will probably not use a platform that is banned in a country to target people in that country.
And plus if you are willing to just Google or look up a single video tutorial about what a VPN is or how to set it up you are probably above of the average Internet user today.
Were you around during the ps1 era when you could go to someone and change a chip to play copied discs? That's the same thing here.
Someone has the know-how, he shares that info and that's it. There is no knowledge involved, and the person installing the VPN doesn't even need to know what it is called or what it does, as long as it allows them to watch tiktok.
Then that person tell their friends and it spreads. There is no technical knowledge.
You think too far. Some people have the knowhow to install a VPN on a phone and access tiktok. They share that info.
People that just want to access tiktok follow the info to install the VPN and have access to tiktok.
Meanwhile people still arguing Fedivers will never succeed because it's to complicated to pick a server :D
If someone goes the extra mile to get informed about and use a VPN, this person is no longer the average user of TikTok. I'm sure everyone including a 90 years old grandma is able to setup and use a VPN on it's own, put it requires a change in mind that definitely impacts you behavior online for the better. So again would be a Win.
It's downloading an app off of an app store and turning it on. Stop trying to force your narrow perspective onto everyone else.
People who are subject to censorship, in time find a workaround. Downloading a VPN app with a big green button to turn it on is not rocket science.
There are probably lots of VPN companies targetting "tiktok" as a keyword to advertise and increase their user base. So they come up first on appstores and search results.
Now, go ahead and call people searching google is not average tiktok user.
But where that data goes after you turn the VPN on, is a different topic on its own. Maybe China itself is running a whole lot of VPN networks from shell companies.
That's exactly what I just said? My grandma could just do it. That's no effort at all. Still so many people refuse to do just one little extra step or think about why something is not working anymore. That's just reality.
If people start questioning those things that would be a good thing. And again people not using a VPN is not my main argument here.