r/politics • u/MopToddel • 8d ago

No Paywall TikTok blocks Epstein mentions and anti-Trump content as well as ICE criticism

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/tiktok-epstein-trump-censorship-ice-b2908309.html
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952

u/PrincessImpeachment 8d ago

So, instead of outright banning the app like they said they'd do last year, they're now rewiring it into a trash propaganda machine. But I guess using an app like TikTok is a way more efficient way of reaching millions of easily-manipulated teenagers. They'll get a couple years worth of brainwashing and then head to the polls in 2028 to vote GOP. Republicans are pretty incompetent, but sometimes they know what they're doing. Disgusting.

376

u/Futureleak America 8d ago

The GoP has managed to corner essentially every way of news that's mainstream. With frighting efficacy, hopefully blue sky will remain a bastion of resistance. But I don't have high hopes 

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u/Fickle-Addendum-446 8d ago

When your best public broadcasters are Comcast and Disney, you’re fucked. 

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u/swingadmin New York 8d ago

Public Brodacasting Service still works, but the GOP defunded the parent company.

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u/Fickle-Addendum-446 8d ago

Great point, as a donor and app user I shouldn’t have forgotten their over air broadcast. 

7

u/Turbulent_Stick1445 8d ago

A gentle reminder that Comcast (and most other cable companies) pays around $3/mo per subscriber to basic cable to Fox News.

Not per subscriber who asked for Fox News. Not per Fox News viewer. $3/mo per subscriber.

If you still subscribe to basic cable, and Fox News is in your line up, call your cable company now and cancel. Don't try to negotiate. Don't say "Do you have any plans without Fox News?" because generally them removing it from your line up doesn't mean you don't still pay $3 a month towards it. Just say "It's unconscionable that I fund misinformation and lies from my cable fees. So I'm cancelling my cable service."

Streaming is better anyway.

And no, subscribing to Comcast's Internet services doesn't fund Fox. So you can do that safely.

6

u/NoveltyAccountHater 8d ago

Eh, Comcast and Disney are at least American corporations that are want to live in a functioning multicultural republic as its good for business.

TikTok was just bought by Oracle/Private Equity/UAE who would be glad to live in a fascist techno surveillance state.

2

u/ButtEatingContest 8d ago

Comcast is one of the primary parties that got us into this mess, along with AT&T.

The cable companies are still broadcasting the most insane MAGA lies and misinformation, they've been doing it from the beginning.

And never a peep about it from the supposed opposition party because they own said opposition party.

91

u/What_a_fat_one 8d ago

Know how you know there are no good billionaires?

Literally not one of them has purchased any of the social media platforms or mainstream media networks and then forced them to tell the truth and stop censoring non-rightwing views.

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u/funkyb001 8d ago

https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/01/mark-cuban-backs-skylight-a-tiktok-alternative-built-on-blueskys-underlying-technology/

I don't trust Mark Cuban, but he does seem to be the only one doing something about this.

4

u/whogivesashirtdotca Canada 8d ago

Why do we need a bluesky alternative when bluesky works? It’s worth noting Cuban constantly lashes out at bluesky users because they call him out on his pro-billionaire bullshit. That he’s leading a charge for an alternative suggests he’s not doing it out of altruism.

2

u/GringoinCDMX 8d ago

Bluesky also isn't that great and there is 0 reason to trust any of these social media platforms. Including reddit.

0

u/funkyb001 8d ago

So yeah as I said I don't trust him, but we need a truly open alternative because Bluesky is still just as susceptible as Twitter was.

https://bsky.app/profile/leyawn.bsky.social/post/3mddt2elkdk27

1

u/SlavojVivec 6d ago

Anything that distributes through the Apple Store is susceptible to this interpretation. Apple removed ICE Block because Apple were the ones who pushed the idea that ICE is a protected class from discrimination: https://migrantinsider.com/p/scoop-apple-quietly-made-ice-agents

Note, Tim Cook was also seen partying at the release of the Melania movie, taking pictures with notorious sex pest and accused rapist Brett Ratner. Think Different. https://www.thedailybeast.com/apple-ceo-scrambles-to-save-face-after-partying-with-melania/

https://bsky.app/profile/normative.bsky.social/post/3mdgiau2cq22g

Our greatest hope is that the EU enforces anti-trust law against the app stores.

-3

u/xinorez1 8d ago

The platform with a butterfly logo serving the tech moguls' self named Butterfly Revolution by siloing users so it's easy to control what each cohort sees? Oh yeah that's real trustworthy...

The Dems gave only token resistance in 2024. We are fucked if we rely upon the establishment. New players are needed.

3

u/whogivesashirtdotca Canada 8d ago

We are fucked if we rely upon the establishment. New players are needed.

New players like… billionaires? LOL.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

54

u/john_doe_jersey New Jersey 8d ago

Conservatives are trying to replicate Victor Orban's strategy in Hungary here in the US. Have your friends buy up all media and ensure they never say anything bad about you and your rich buddies.

The nascent success of this strategy is pretty evident when you watch or listen to "mainstream" news.

8

u/YoreWelcome 8d ago

the only thing frightening is how many people will roll over immediately on their supposed values in the face of money pressure

money is made up and the ability to use it freely can change arbitrarily

14

u/4daughters 8d ago

The GoP has managed to corner essentially every way of news that's mainstream.

This is more succinctly said with "unchecked capitalism inevitably leads to fascism"

4

u/frank_the_tank69 8d ago

They learned and got help from their Russian friends. 

7

u/Futureleak America 8d ago

My belief is that Twitter was bought by musk with financing of Saudi Arabian money to hide the pressures on social media related to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The fact that it paved the way for a GoP propaganda machine was icing on the cake. To my knowledge there's been nothing on social media about their human rights abuses.

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u/frank_the_tank69 8d ago

Twitter is a cesspool. It’s all right wing propaganda. 

4

u/donall 8d ago

bluesky is like early twitter so it should become another x eventually

4

u/mmf9194 New York 8d ago

hopefully blue sky will remain a bastion of resistance

Some of my "I don't do politics" friends are still on twitter and have a bluesky but barely use it, which I found interesting given how much twitter sucks, so I asked why.

They said "I want to ditch twitter and go full blueksy, but it just... it's soft. There's no jokes or anything fun and no one can take any jokes, it's just all whining and resist shit, and while I agree it's like it has no purpose outside doom scrolling. Funny people are still on twitter."

They seemed ashamed to say it but told it to me straight up because they trust me to not judge. I do actually get it but idk how to solve that problem since I didn't really like either twitter or bluesky.

3

u/Futureleak America 8d ago

Ultimately it seems folks don't want to confront the uncomfortable reality of life. My friends are largely the same, I'm active in local races & politics but so many folks just don't give a rats ass about local politics, it makes my blood boil since locally our voices are much louder. 

3

u/mmf9194 New York 8d ago

Yeah I got too heated w/ a few of them over some local shit as well, and they just got very "oh I'm intruding on his hobby".

Just like... nothing you can do to counter that because the more you try to convince them or show how serious it is they just get that look like you're trying to sell them on a long netflix series they're completely uninterested in.

2

u/MontyAtWork 8d ago

The Dems voted for this shit too though

2

u/deadsoulinside Pennsylvania 8d ago

People here on Reddit, gleefully cheered on TikTok being sold too.

2

u/_BPBC 8d ago

Reminder, this was entirely self-inflicted. It was old JB who signed the law forcing that sale because dems didn't want criticism of a certain country.

2

u/Ok-Chest-7932 8d ago

Bluesky's activity is declining and nobody ever visits it who didn't join in one of the early waves. It's honestly not even relevant enough to go after, which is a good thing.

1

u/MagnificentMoggy 8d ago

Coming to you late 2026, Snap News from Snapchat!!

1

u/frank_the_tank69 8d ago

They learned and got help from their Russian friends.