# "Why should I care if China knows how many cat videos I see on TikTok?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-if-china-knows-how-many-cat-videos-i-see-on-tiktok/978734>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 24, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-if-china-knows-how-many-cat-videos-i-see-on-tiktok/978734 "2023-01-24T17:05:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-if-china-knows-how-many-cat-videos-i-see-on-tiktok/978734/101 "2023-03-24T01:34:48Z")

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> [@Banquet\_Bear](#):
>
> watching the tiktok ceo testify before congress is fucking painful to watch because once again we’re allowing people who are completely unqualified to ask the dumbest questions known to man. they can barely work their iphones why are we doing this again

I disagree. Those people are the MOST qualified to ask the dumbest questions known to man. They’ve got a huge amount of practice. (-:

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**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-if-china-knows-how-many-cat-videos-i-see-on-tiktok/978734/102 "2023-03-24T02:25:17Z")

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> [@Mallard](#):
>
> Considering this is an app from China, it could be used for gathering information for nefarious reasons.

…and based on what was said during the hearings today, do you think that is happening? What do you think of the TikTok plan to move all American data to American data-centres, to be run by an American company, firewalled off from access to Chinese authorities?

> [@Mallard](#):
>
> Earlier this year, Home Depot in Canada was gathering personal information through emailed receipts to customers and passing that information along to others.

They were passing them to Facebook. This is a problem. A BIG problem. Its a data privacy issue. Its a data security issue. It’s one that is common to every single social media app, not just TikTok, as we can see from your example. And it’s a problem that goes beyond just social media apps.

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**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-if-china-knows-how-many-cat-videos-i-see-on-tiktok/978734/103 "2023-03-24T02:30:44Z")

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> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> I disagree. Those people are the MOST qualified to ask the dumbest questions known to man. They’ve got a huge amount of practice. (-:

…I stand corrected LOL 😃

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**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-if-china-knows-how-many-cat-videos-i-see-on-tiktok/978734/104 "2023-03-24T03:19:17Z")

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Is subliminal messaging still a thing? Seems like that would make for a good conspiracy.

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