It’s both, just that it’s really about one of them and the other is just a cherry on top.

Don’t try to frame this as a hangup of mine and act like you haven’t been thoroughly participating in this debate in a way entirely hyperfixated on “it’s about control”. You’re better than that.

You still think this is about exerting a control they have yet to exercise, instead of the far more obvious thing I’ve repeated about 5 times and you’ve ignored each time:

THIS IS PROTECTIONISM FOR AMERICAN SOCIAL MEDIA MAGNATES.

Because they never exercise it in respect to social media?

See how you can’t see past this one simple concept and keep circling back?

It was never about ability, you brought it up and I countered with the fact that ability means nothing if you don’t enforce it… Aaaaaaand then you brought up ability again like it’s relevant.

I’m not sure why you keep pursuing this circular debate. My entire point has been it doesn’t matter if it’s a foreign app or not if the government has no desire to control domestic social media due to the fact that the billionaires who own it are directly responsible for electing said government.

You keep bringing up the ability to bring them to heel like it’s in any way relevant when I’ve seen no evidence of meta or X in any way being forced to moderate their platforms - in fact the opposite has been proven abundantly true in the last 10 years. Stop trying to rely on “well maybe a foreign app might be harder to control hypothetically, despite the fact that American apps are completely uncontrolled”. It’s irrelevant to the reality of the situation we have now and therefore a flimsy excuse to protect domestic billionaires interests.

Ability is immaterial if you don’t have the will to exercise it.

What you have at the moment is the government banning being a communist, but fully allowing being a Nazi on X and Facebook.

If you’re going to let Nazis thrive, at least let the communists counterbalance them.

So why bother replying to my very specific question if you don’t have anything to contribute? Oh yeah, because your mum brought you up to think that your opinions are special and everyone should hear them. Way to go, champ.

The ability and the will are two entirely different things.

I think you can sum our sides of the argument up with: who do you think is in charge - Trump or Elon?

I am bringing up racism, as so much of the support for this ban is racially motivated. The Republicans have been using sinophobia as a wedge to whip its own base into a “yellow peril” frenzy, with COVID being the real catalyst.

This isn’t an imperfect, but well meaning decision. It’s xenophobia mixed with American social media oligarch protectionism.

You’re sensing frustration at America’s consistent sinophobia.

Using any for profit data harvesting app has great financial incentive to negatively impact anyone

Pretty sure I said:

Explain exactly how using a Chinese app will negatively impact the average American. Don’t use vague threats, use evidence based examples.

So far I’ve responded to about 6 people and no one’s been able to articulate any sort of tangible negative impacts, just vague threats and handwringing.

I’d rather no moderation than one sided political moderation.

I asked for specific examples of how a Chinese app would impact Americans and you linked two pieces of vague bullshit not directly related in any way to China.

“we could totally police American companies, it’s just that we don’t because they own all our politicians”.

I’m glad we’re on the same page.

What makes you think that? They haven’t so far, despite proven Russian troll farms operating on American platorms. I think you’ve inadvertently reversed the order of master and servant there.

Sorry, are you describing X or Facebook with your comment?

And yet this ban does nothing to stop Chinese or Russian troll farms from spreading misinformation and using the outrage algorithm to further fracture the American public on American platforms.

This legislation is not about stopping bad foreign actors, this is purely a way to protect the business interest of American social media companies.

Thanks, I’ll check it out!

I don’t disagree, but I also feel the same about X and Facebook and neither of them have copped a ban.