this post was submitted on 07 Jun 2025
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Frequent TikTok users in Taiwan more likely to agree with pro-China narratives, study finds (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 18 hours ago by daniel_callahan@jlai.lu to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] Lumisal@lemmy.world 4 points 1 hour ago

This is how I expect China to actually absorb Taiwan.

The only legitimate reason they want it at this point is the chip manufacturies, and those are rigged with self destruct explosives in case of a losing war.

But use propaganda and bribes to get the country to join willingly, and that extremely valuable financial and scientific infrastructure remains safe.

[–] shadowfax13@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 hours ago

tiktok is no exception, today all major content sources are rottenly biased.

like anyone relying on msm or /r/worldnews will think israel is fighting for survival against an ultra-advance alien invasion rather than genociding unarmed starving population with missiles, drones and snipers.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 11 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I'm staggered so many people seem to think TikTok isn't used to sway public opinions.

[–] angstylittlecatboy@reddthat.com 5 points 5 hours ago

It's people who run apologia for anything the Chinese government or even Chinese business does.

Meanwhile I remember that TikTok helped Trump' s youth outreach campaign with the message they gave when US access was restored, so they've already signalled they're not on my side.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago

All according to plan

[–] thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 37 points 17 hours ago (4 children)

This is a case where you have to be careful about cause-effect order. I assume that Tiwanese people that are heavily opposed to China are more likely to avoid tiktok. But of course, it's been shown that tiktok tends to show more pro-China "content" as well, and likely influences the opinions of its users.

[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

TikTok is the cause in other parts of the world at least. It has been washing the brains of friends and family for many years now. It‘s odd how the most apolitical people suddenly drop pro Chinese talking points at a gathering.

But what‘s worse is how it radicalizes young adults and teenagers and pushes them to the far right. Dictatorship suddenly becomes freedom and democracy becomes a prison to them. It‘s well documented how much anti-democratic content the platform is pushing aggressively and that‘s extremely beneficial for China.

I expect it‘s no different in Taiwan.

[–] tonywu@lemmy.world 6 points 8 hours ago

It’s not just that, it’s also culture takeover. A lot of young people in Taiwan speak and think like mainland Chinese now.

[–] jeffw@lemmy.world 10 points 17 hours ago

Like you said, it’s not new information that Tik Tok hides posts on certain topics and promotes posts on other topics though, so it isn’t surprising either way. I’ll add that they do it with more than just pro-China content

[–] muntedcrocodile@lemm.ee 4 points 17 hours ago

I'm recon its a bit of both tbh.

[–] ToadOfHypnosis@lemm.ee 11 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

This is because Tiktok slows spread of anti-CCP content and boosts pro-CCP content. Exactly like they keep swearing they don’t. ByteDance answers to their State Capitalism daddy Xi, they are not independent as they claim.

[–] thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 7 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (2 children)

Whatever anyone China-affiliated says they're not doing, it's a safe bet that's exactly what they're doing.

I'm not going to push any conspiracy theories, but I believe the strongest evidence pointing towards Covid-19 originating in a lab is the Chinese government insisting that it didn't, while prohibiting anyone not under their control from investigating. That doesn't mean it did originate from a lab, but if anything, that's what it points to. To be explicit: My impression is that, currently, most available evidence points towards natural origins. However the Chinese government has done its best to convince me otherwise.

[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

All I‘m saying is that said lab was one of the largest ones in the world to research SarS at that time and if my memory serves me right was only one of three in the world to research the type of SarS that could infect humans. Cave bats knowing to carry it naturally don‘t live anywhere near that region either (a detail most people probably never even considered). That makes the whole food stall theory doubtful with this giant lab next door.

Mix that with how the local and then national Chinese government have mismanaged the outbreak every step of the way (I still remember the terrifying headlines from late 2019 of warning doctors that vanished and fleeing international journalists vividly, so don‘t tell me that didn‘t happen) and it looks a whole lot like a classic lab leak combined with no action to contain it because then you would have to admit something went wrong. Because yes, lab leaks do happen from time to time but they‘re usually contained, but there are no signs containment was ever a priority in Wuhan apart from blocking national flights (international flights still went in and out though. The government didn‘t even issue a warning. Gotta keep the trade flowing I guess.).

It‘s also extremely valuable to actually listen to virologists word for word because what they have said many times is that Covid-19 just doesn‘t look like a virus you would make in a lab, implying it would be reckless to do research on something like that. That‘s the sole reason they disprove of the lab theory. They blindly trust their Chinese colleagues to work as vigilant and exemplary as they do when the timeline points to the opposite.

I doubt we will ever see any proof of a lab leak because Chinese officials have swept that lab and the records squeaky clean before they allowed any foreign investigation of the site. The lab leak theory is by far the most plausible one and believe me when I say it will happen again because those corrupt structures are still intact.

[–] Goretantath@lemmy.world -5 points 14 hours ago

The first week of the pandemic, a youtube channel posted ALL the info on the lab leak, it was scrubbed off the face of the internet. Showed the lab and the food stall the lab worker went to nearby. Also that a california lab was sharing reasearch with said lab in wuhan and stopped just a bit prior to the leak.

[–] xeekei@lemmy.zip 4 points 14 hours ago

Let's hope for Loops to take over!

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

TikTok shows me BBQ techniques, random models, and teenagers trying to be professional stuntmen and almost dying. And that one time sea shanties. You have to train the algorithm.

[–] KumaSudosa@feddit.dk 1 points 4 hours ago

I've only ever tried to watch travel videos, yet they still feed me the occassional far-right propaganda and even islamism

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social -3 points 14 hours ago

*Pro-West Taiwan narratives.