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Ex-Activision CEO Bobby Kotick looks to buy TikTok amid shutdown fears - Dexerto

TikTok has been at the center of controversy for the United States government in the last few years. Particularly, members of the Senate believe China-based parent company ByteDance could spy on its users and share information with the Chinese Government.

With fears that TikTok could shut down if new legislation passes Congress, with lawmakers pushing for the website’s sale, ex-Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is reportedly looking to purchase the platform.

Thcdenton ,

Can't they both just die already?

Red_October ,

Good, he can ruin that and actually do some good for once in his life.

BigMacHole ,

I'm glad we don't Tax people like him! I LOVE when Billionaires buy Social Media sites instead of ending World Hunger or Homelessness!

Clbull ,

Bobby Kotick and TikTok are so carcinogenic to society that their union would be like the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.

yesman ,

Well, I know what the next Jimquisition is going to be about.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

TrIpLe A sOcIAl MeDiA

Viking_Hippie ,

ByteDance could spy on its users and share information with the Chinese Government.

Whereas it's a well-known fact that Facebook, Twitter, and everything Google spy on their users and share information with the US government.

That's fine, though, because the US government has NEVER been known to violate the rights of its own people and people from pretty much every other country in the world as well, nuh-uh! 🙄

Codilingus ,

I like how it says "could," when it's been a known fact for awhile now, that they do this.

Viking_Hippie ,

Probably a case of alleged-itis 🤷

jumjummy ,

It’s not a “could spy”, it’s a definitely spies. Yes, it sucks that we don’t have broader social media reforms and controls in place, but allowing a foreign hostile government this much direct access to US citizens is a bridge too far.

Viking_Hippie ,

I partially agree: you're right that the Chinese government spying on American users is unacceptable, but you're wrong about it being any worse than the US government doing it.

Only case would be if you work in government, but even then, it'd only be a problem if you're using an unsecured device that also has Tiktok on it to do secret government stuff on, which would probably get you super-fired and possibly prosecuted in itself..

jumjummy ,

Well, if you look at that argument from the US government perspective, a US company vs a China one certainly warrants a different approach. I mean, I wish we had broader social media level data protections, but that’s not what this is no matter what spin is being applied.

ianovic69 ,
@ianovic69@feddit.uk avatar

Only case would be if you work in government, but even then, it'd only be a problem if you're using an unsecured device that also has Tiktok on it to do secret government stuff on, which would probably get you super-fired and possibly prosecuted in itself..

Ah the good old days, where here in Blitey that would have been the case.

These days that kind of thing gets you promoted to Minister for Digital Communications or even just Prime Minister.

I kid you not.

"It also emerged that all messages on Boris Johnson's phone were wiped in April 2021, after it emerged his number had been freely available on the internet for 15 years."

Wanderer , (edited )

From a personal point of view aren't I better off if a foreign government spies on me rather than a local one?

Like China isn't going to fine me for piracy or jail me for protesting. My country could.

WarlordSdocy ,

Then maybe this should be the time to curtail all social media apps from being able to spy on users. But no they won't do that cause the US government uses that data for itself happily. So instead they make legislation that allows them to broadly target any social media app they mark as "controlled by a hostile foreign power". Which just sounds like a way for them to target any social media app that isn't US based and that they can't control in some way. I don't like TikTok and I think it should be forced to stop spying or be banned, but the same standard should be applied to all websites, apps, etc.

lledrtx ,

I don't understand why this comment is inevitably under every Tiktok thread. Everyone knows Big Tech spies for the govt especially the lawmakers, precisely why they don't want a hostile foreign govt doing it.

China knows this too - that's why FB, Google etc are banned there. So what's your point?

Viking_Hippie ,

My point is that it's empty posturing based in xenophobia. Most of Congress don't give a shit about the data privacy and safety of Tiktok users. They just want to be able to tell voters that they bravely took on the Big Bad Chinese Government Company

Other than the cheap political points, they hope that it'll distract those same voters from the fact that they're doing nothing about the much bigger problem of many times bigger American companies who cooperate with the same government and other geopolitical adversaries while doing the same as Tiktok on a much larger scale.

Chefdano3 ,
@Chefdano3@lemm.ee avatar

TikTok just starts showing a lot of Bill Cosby shorts for some reason.

Modva ,

This guy is an incredibly dangerous parasite with apex predator instincts. Fucking up games is one thing, but stepping closer to the social fabric is a next level concern.

Butterpaderp ,

Honestly, good, let him kill tiktok. Bring back Vine while we're at it.

bionicjoey ,

They deserve each other

ripcord ,
@ripcord@lemmy.world avatar

That's what a bunch of people said about Musk and Twitter, but that has had a lot of collateral damage and isn't dying nearly as quick as expected.

frunch ,

Bobby Kotiktok 😎

aeronmelon ,

It's like the back and forth in a 90s action movie:

"How could TikTok get any worse?"

Bobby Kotick buys TikTok

"It just got worse!"

Manalith ,

It's like the Robot Chicken Star Wars skit "This deal is getting worse all the time"

Yes I know he does actually use that line in Empire but still

zeppo ,
@zeppo@lemmy.world avatar

It's quite a giveaway to a lucky American business. I vote Google because then they'll get bored with it and shut it down.

Thekingoflorda ,
@Thekingoflorda@lemmy.world avatar

They’ll merge it with yt shorts, then rename yt short to tiktok (new) then separate the two again and then shut down tiktok and 1 year later yt shorts as well.

ladicius ,

... whilst making hefty profits.

Tools roll in, tools roll out. You can't explain that.

ikidd ,
@ikidd@lemmy.world avatar

This sounds optimal.

misk ,
@misk@sopuli.xyz avatar

While it's pretty much guaranteed all tech giants will sell your data to China if the price is right, Bobby could give it away for free to the Taliban for shits and giggles.

ObviouslyNotBanana ,
@ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world avatar

I don't trust TikTok, and I don't trust Bobby. He'll probably find a way to make it easier for people to steal breast milk or something. Perfect combo 10/10.

Dasnap ,
@Dasnap@lemmy.world avatar

All videos just become livestreams of toilet stalls.

ObviouslyNotBanana ,
@ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world avatar

Pay to view

rtxn ,

If that's what it takes to keep his dick out of everything else, then so be it. It might also put some pressure on his neck from other regions where tiktok operates (particularly the EU).

ripe_banana ,
@ripe_banana@lemmy.world avatar

I feel like this enables the dick putting in process.

rtxn ,

I don't give much of a shit about tiktok, he can put his whatever in it.

dojan ,
@dojan@lemmy.world avatar

It’s not that I care about TikTok as a platform, but I don’t particularly want him to have it.

gravitas_deficiency ,

Yeah, Kotick is a trash-tier human and absolutely doesn’t deserve to benefit from this.

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