Tag Archives: TikTok

Shades Of The Patriot Act

Posted on by

On Thursday, The Conservative Treehouse posted an article about HR7521, the proverbial “TikToK Ban Law.” The article notes that the justification Congress is giving for supporting this law is very similar to the justification for passing the Patriot Act. We see how that has turned out.

The article reports:

First, the context that should matter (it doesn’t because the USIC are in charge here) is that every element that preceded the passage of the Patriot Act is being duplicated in the passage of the TikTok ban.  Which is to say, everyone is deferring to this ridiculous need to support USA National Security.

We The People have been burned by this approach before, yet so many refuse to see the similarity.

Second, the essential shield for those who support the bill [READ HR7521] comes down to the term “Foreign Adversary”, which is defined in the bill as Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.  As they make the case, TikTok ban advocates cite the content or platform of the issue must originate from, and/or be controlled by, a foreign adversary…. so quit worrying.

However, the legislative language cites Foreign Adversary Controlled Application (FACA), which applies to content providers, apps, websites, social media and hosting platforms.  This is where things get sketchy, because “under the direction of” is language that is included in the legislation, and the determinations of “at the direction of” are made by the Attorney General.

If the content, platform, website, or social media app generates content that is considered a national security threat, and providing information therein that is deemed to be under the control of a “foreign adversary,” it is the content within, not necessarily the platform ownership itself, that transfers compliance inquiry to the U.S government (DOJ Attorney General) for definitions.

If, for example, a U.S. company (think Twitter or CTH) is deemed to be providing information that is controlled by Russia, or actors who participate in the platform content on behalf of Russia (expand your FARA thinking here), then the U.S. or non-Foreign Adversary designation, may result in review subject to the terms of service as created and defined by the DOJ. In this example, the “Foreign Adversary” designation is simply a nose under the tent.

The DOJ, through this act, essentially becomes the overarching determination of terms of service (TOS) that can supersede the TOS of the platform or website.  Want to fight the definition or determination… prepare to spend big money fighting a battle exclusively in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, as that’s the only place you can appeal the determination of the govt.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Dealing with Threats from China

Posted on by

Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D    

In spite of the naïve efforts of Henry Kiesinger, who advocated the policy of reaching out to communist China, China has become militarily and economically not only our rivals, but in some ways they have surpassed us. Is their government less totalitarian and communist in their principles and actions? Definitely not. Quite the opposite–their plan is to dominate the world, and they appear to be succeeding. A compromised Joe Biden who clearly has been profiting from shady business deals his son and brother made with China is not helping. 

Now that we are in this adversarial position with a powerful China, made so primarily by our buying their products, what do we do about it? There are several things we must do. First, we must clearly recognize their global ambitions as a threat to our country and treat them as such.  Second, we must stop awarding them special privileges such as favored nation status and exemptions from rules governing other developed countries. Third, China must no longer be permitted to purchase land or major businesses in our country.  Allowing them to buy our farm land and food processing industries is about the dumbest things we could do.  Fourth, many colleges and universities are receiving research grants and programs funded, and in many cases staffed, by the Chinese. This not only allows them access to our developing new technologies but also to  control the actual outcome and reporting of this research. Look where Dr. Fauci’s funding of gain of function research in the Wuhan lab got us.    Fifth, we need to return the manufacture of essential products to this country as President Trump had initiated. The idea that most of our essential pharmaceuticals are manufactured overseas is seriously risky.    Sixth, close the border and deport all illegals including the increasing numbers of Chinese that are coming over the southern border. 

Last but not least, we should shut down access to the social platform TikTok as India has done. TikTok is increasingly being accessed by the youth of our country. It is estimated that 60% of TikTok users are age 11 to 26. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is like most Chinese corporations, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. In fact, our federal government has banned TikTok from being used on any federal government devices. If TikTok presents this kind of risk, why are we allowing our impressionable youth to be exposed to the propaganda, personal data collection, and anti-American ideas prevalent on it?  A recent study showed that the mechanism that TikTok uses of short videos can in the long term affect a person’s brain and diminish their ability to focus and stay on task. This is particularly true for young users. Thirty four of our 50 states have joined the prohibition of using TIkTok on state owned devices. So far, only Montana has banned TikTok on private/personal devices.

North Carolina should step up and do the same. 

Given the compromised Biden regime, the Republican controlled House of Representatives is our only current option to address this issue.   Another reason, among many, to vote for Donald Trump. 

The RESTRICT Act

Posted on by

Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act or the RESTRICT Act (S 686) was introduced in the Senate on March 7, 2023. The bill is draconian and will severely limit the rights of  Americans. There are restrictions in the bill regarding FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests by Americans and limits on Judicial Review of government actions. It is an unconstitutional bill, but I wonder if anyone in Washington has read the U.S. Constitution.

The following article is used by permission https://www.cyberteamus.com/

The RESTRICT Act

A castle is a good picture of a cybersecurity strategy.

Layers of barriers were meant to protect the vulnerable.  If an enemy crossed the moat, they’d face towering walls.

Should they breach the walls, they’d encounter another obstacle.  And so on.

Fast forward to modern times.  A recent bill before the U.S. government poses a risk to one of those layers.

Read on for why this matters to you as a freedom-loving individual.

How Does a VPN Work?

A virtual private network (VPN) uses an encrypted connection to the public internet.

Users outside this system are prevented from pulling data. Whether that’s Big Tech, or other sources seeking to use it for personal gain.

The statistics on usage of a secure VPN by Americans have increased since 2020:

  • 39% use them for work or personal use

Awareness and popularity soared during COVID overreach.  Plus concerns about rising identity theft furthered adoption.

But now you could face up to 20 years or $1 million in fines for using one.

RESTRICT Act Goes After More Than TikTok

U.S. lawmakers are currently reviewing the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act.

The main target in the crosshairs is TikTok.  But its fuzzy language opens up others to scrutiny.

That’s a problem.

One article states that downloading an app deemed a “national security risk” using a VPN could place regular users on the federal radar.

People like a solopreneur who loves America.  Or a dad with a family to support.

Basically anyone who wants to maintain digital freedom.

Next, we’ll look at the benefits of VPN’s.

What Is VPN Protection?

Similar to locking your door at night, cybersecurity protection is a first line of defense.  Allowing you and your loved ones to surf the internet in peace.

VPN security is one component that factors into this guardianship.  Our team are advocates for its ability to achieve this goal.

Ways it’s beneficial:

  • Grants access to websites blocked in the United States
  • Prevents hackers from tapping into your connection
  • Strong protocols offer more secure browsing
  • Full disk encryption protects core servers

At every point, your personal information is defended.  From the various methods of attack criminals use in searching for weaknesses.

With recent breaches of major password protection apps like LastPass, interest around VPNs has grown.

After all, individual digital freedoms are worth pursuing.

Please understand that the right to use a VPN is protected under the 4th Amendment.  Unless it’s repealed, you have every claim to this personal and professional privacy.

At least, that’s what we believe!

Finally, let’s look at a viable option for guarding your online activity.

Cyber Team U.S. Protecting Families and Individuals

Online safety doesn’t need to be expensive or difficult to manage.  And if it comes with industry-leading security, even better.

We proudly serve our customers as a U.S. cyber team.

Veteran-owned, our services are performed by various vendors.  Add to that multiple suppliers.

And the result you get is a decreased risk of prying eyes on your internet usage!

We offer a cybersecurity protection plan for freelancers, families, and others seeking a better choice than big-box companies.

  • Antivirus protection
  • Malware protection
  • Ransomware protection

Take the first step and utilize a VPN for year-round protection on your devices!

Stay safe with our cyber team!

Why Tik-Tok Will Not Be Banned

Posted on by

On Tuesday, The Washington Free Beacon posted an article about the banning of Tik-Tok. It is generally acknowledged that Tik-Tok is a Chinese Communist Party vehicle for gathering information on Americans, it is doubtful that it will be banned in America. Recently, the RESTRICT Act was introduced in Congress.

The article notes:

But the RESTRICT Act never names TikTok, which has signaled its support for the law, and instead empowers the Commerce Department to prohibit any technology that “poses undue or unacceptable risk to national security.” The bill prompted criticism from Republicans for failing to ban TikTok immediately. RESTRICT Act critics such as Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), who has his own bill to outlaw TikTok, argue that the act could delay action against the tech company for years and relies on Biden administration officials who have voiced apprehensions about a ban, such as Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, to pull the trigger.

“There is no time for half-measures,” Rubio told the Washington Free Beacon.

Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio), who supports a ban on TikTok, said last month that language in the RESTRICT Act is too broad. “You’re creating, effectively, a PATRIOT Act for the digital age,” Vance said.

The RESTRICT Act’s supporters have also botched its rollout, with cosponsor Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) showing in a late March interview with Fox News that he was unfamiliar with the bill’s provisions. According to a senior Senate Republican staffer, the botched rollout means that “anti-TikTok legislation is currently dead.” Another senior Senate aide, who worked on the RESTRICT Act, pushed back against that characterization, saying that no other bill “has this broad base of bipartisan support.”

The article notes one major reason Tik-Tok may not be banned:

Meanwhile, the White House is leaning into using TikTok and similar apps as it gears up for 2024, raising questions about whether it sincerely views the company as a national security threat. Biden’s campaign plans to “lean on hundreds of social media ‘influencers’ who will tout Biden’s record,” according to a recent report. As Chew (TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew) was testifying to Congress in March, the White House used an app owned by TikTok’s parent company to make an Instagram video.

The Biden administration is not going to ban one of the Democrat’s major weapons in the 2024 presidential campaign.

 

Destroying Our Children On Social Media

Posted on by

Most children over the age of twelve have access to TikTok. I wonder how many of their parents are actually paying attention to what is on that site.

On Tuesday, The New York Post posted an article written by a woman  in her 30’s who posed as a 14-year-old boy on TikTok to see what would show up for her to view. The results were frightening.

The article reports:

My aim wasn’t to use Jayden’s profile to interact with other people online but rather just to see what sort of content the algorithm fed him if he was completely passive.

Within seconds of opening TikTok and YouTube as him, I was bombarded with a dizzying stream of videos of girls lip-syncing and twerking in mini-shorts.

After about a minute, things took a darker turn.

Mega influencers like stuntman-turned-boxer Logan Paul, 27, started popping up.

Paul stars in videos alongside the Sidemen, a popular British YouTube group known for offensive content — one member faced a backlash for his “rape face” video series in 2015.

In their “Sidemen Tinder in Real Life” YouTube series, the men often talk graphically to the women who are invited to their studio to make a potential love connection.

But instead of finding Mr. Right, the girls are often pummeled with insults about their physical appearance.

The most disturbing video I came across on TikTok, however, featured slow-motion footage of a boy, likely around Jayden’s age, in a classroom standing over a girl and swinging his closed fist toward her face as she recoiled.

Jayden was fed another TikTok video stamped with title “Calling my girlfriend the ‘B’ word for her reaction” featuring a young guy repeatedly barking the epithet at his significant other in the hopes of infuriating her for laughs.

Obviously this is not entertainment.

It is interesting to know that in China, the youth version of TikTok offers educational content including “novel and interesting popular science experiments, exhibitions in museums and galleries, beautiful scenery across the country, explanations of historical knowledge, and so on,” according to ByteDance. (article here) China also limits the amount of time its children spend on social media. What is the end goal of those who are feeding garbage to America’s children?

Big Tech Is Watching You

Posted on by

The Western Journal posted an article today about privacy in America.

The article reports:

Those who are wary of smartphones, smart devices and virtual assistants generally cite concerns over their information being recorded and shared without their knowledge.

Only fueling those concerns, one woman recently shared that she had found over 3,000 recordings of herself taken by her various Amazon devices.

The woman, who goes by the username “my.data.not.yours” on TikTok, posts lots of videos on the topics of privacy, reviews privacy policies and gives people tips on how to limit (or at least be aware of) their digital footprint.

She started by informing viewers that she owns two Amazon Dots and an Echo device, and her house uses some smart bulbs.

“I requested all the data Amazon has on me and here’s what I found,” she said. “So when I downloaded the ZIP file these are all the folders it came with.”

In the video, she clicks on the “audio” file and says that it contains 3,534 short clips that her devices recorded, which she tells viewers is “so scary.”

She explained that one recording was of her asking Alexa to turn the lights on — nothing too surprising there. What she was more concerned about was that there was a file on her contacts, too.

“It turns out they have a full list of my contacts from my phone and I never remember syncing that,” she said.

That wasn’t the end of it.

“The very last thing that I didn’t know that they had — I could have assumed that they have but I don’t love that they have — is my location,” she continued, admitting that she’s “not totally comfortable with everything they have.”

The article also explains how you can delete things from Alexa:

In February, an article by CNBC stated that the Amazon Echo “saves a copy of everything you ask Alexa,” which makes sense. You can also delete these recordings — ironically — by asking Alexa to delete them.

You can also change the settings so that recordings are automatically deleted after a set amount of time.

According to the New York Post, an Amazon spokesperson acknowledged the voice recording feature and said that the recordings can be deleted at any time or you can change the settings so they aren’t saved in the first place.

“We give customers transparency and control over their Alexa experience,” the spokesperson said. “Customers can easily review and delete their voice recordings, or choose not to have them saved at all, at any time.

“Customers can import their mobile phone contacts to the Alexa app so they can use features like hands-free calling and messaging; this optional feature, which customers need to set up, can be disabled at any time.

“Finally, you can grant permissions for the Alexa app to use certain data, such as your mobile device’s geolocation, to provide relevant results (e.g., weather, traffic, restaurant recommendations), and you can manage these permissions in the app.”

Did you know about these features?

Wow.

Perspective Matters

Posted on by

Yesterday Breitbart posted an article about President Biden’s recent call to Chinese dictator Xi Jinping.

The article notes:

Chinese media outlets praised President Joe Biden on Wednesday for what they characterized as a respectful, “positive” call between the head of state and Chinese dictator Xi Jinping.

The Xinhua news agency and the Global Times state propaganda newspaper both highlighted the timing – on the eve of the Lunar New Year – as a gesture of goodwill from the new presidential administration. The former expressed hope that, after President Donald Trump’s tenure featured policies designed to contain the influence of the Chinese Communist Party abroad and frequent condemnations of its human rights atrocities, America under Biden would return to the “right track” of policy favorable to Beijing.

I am all in favor of diplomacy and getting along with everyone, but let’s take a look at what the “right track” might be in the eyes of China. On February 9th, The Washington Examiner posted an article with the following headline, “Biden withdraws Trump rule on schools disclosing ties to Chinese state-run Confucius Institutes.” The Biden administration has put the sale of TikTok on hold. The Trump administration was working to sell the company to a majority-owned American company due to national security concerns.

The article at Breitbart notes:

Chinese media coverage of the phone call, the first between the two since Biden became president, contrasted considerably with American mainstream media claims that Biden had “pressured” Xi on issues such as the genocide of the Uyghur people in western Xinjiang or the repression of political dissidents in Hong Kong.

“The Spring Festival is a very important holiday for the Chinese,” Xinhua’s coverage noted. “The telephone conversation between the two heads of state on the eve of the Lunar New Year marks a new starting point for direct communication, symbolizes goodwill, and conforms to the expectations of the Chinese and Americans, as well as those of the wider global community.”

The article concludes:

Mainstream American outlets did not convey in their coverage of the call a sense that Biden had been overly effusive in sharing goodwill or “respect,” as their Chinese counterparts did. The New York Times painted the call as aggressive, leading with the claim that Biden raised “concerns about Beijing’s aggressive policies abroad and human rights abuses at home,” which Chinese outlets largely disregarded. The newspaper nonetheless noted that Biden has “said that he believed he had spent more time with Mr. Xi than he has with any other world leader.”

CNN similarly claimed that Biden “call[ed] China out on a range of issues related to its nefarious use of technology, unfair trade and human rights abuses,” citing unidentified sources within the Biden administration.

NBC News, citing the White House, also led its coverage with an emphasis on Biden mentioning the existence of human rights problems in China.

Somehow I think the media has sold us out.