TikTok users “absolutely justified” for fearing MAGA makeover, experts say
arstechnica.com
TikTok’s tech issues abound as censorship fears drive users to delete app.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/59392382

TikTok wants users to believe that errors blocking uploads of anti-ICE videos or direct messages mentioning Jeffrey Epstein are due to technical errors—not the platform seemingly shifting to censor content critical of Donald Trump after he hand-picked the US owners who took over the app last week.

However, experts say that TikTok users’ censorship fears are justified, whether the bugs are to blame or not.

Ioana Literat, an associate professor of technology, media, and learning at Teachers College, Columbia University, has studied TikTok’s politics since the app first shot to popularity in the US in 2018. She told Ars that “users’ fears are absolutely justified” and explained why the “bugs” explanation is “insufficient.”

  • @Telorand@reddthat.comEnglish
    35•10 hours ago

    Maybe—and I’m going out on a limb here—just maybe, using centralized media to document State-sponsored domestic terrorism is a fucking stupid idea. Especially since the very same platform is co-owned by the State.

    Y’all, we already went through this with Xitter. Sorry you fell for it again, but this won’t be the last time if you continue to cling to platforms owned by the very people who want to censor you.