I actually have made it a personal rule to never sign up for TikTok. Instagram usually gets the stolen reposted content of whatever trends on TikTok a week ago. Browsing Instagram on the phone you are just swiping and taking in whatever the algorithm feeds you and unless you save it, that content might be gone forever. Who knows how much slop has just "drive by" messed up my brain.

Nevertheless I saved a couple pieces I found interesting or amusing:

[1]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGz-LXXRuZT/

[2]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIcfiVwyobj/

[3]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIctsOCC5Zy/ (<- that one got me bopping to the song lol)

[4]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DItvZlXtnPJ/

[5]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI4AcPvMuCt/ (Guess the algorithm thinks I like Tom & Jerry lol)

[6]: https://www.instagram.com/barto_lovo/reel/DILkfVzt-vs/

[7]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIPhTmjSOIb/

I made a new TikTok account out of curiosity after Trump "saved" the platform. No exaggeration, half of the "For You" content was from "Team Trump" or Charlie Kirk. They are actively pushing propaganda, but I've seen no signs that it's Chinese propaganda, unless you assume that Bytedance is bowing to Trump, and that Bytedance is controlled by the Chinese Government, which just raises more questions.

Youtube Premium is the only "streaming service" I actually pay money for, and I use it quite a bit. Rarely ever does something off the wall get pushed to me. I do consume politics on YT, and occasionally something right wing shows up, but it's rare. I have no doubt that this stuff would be prioritized on a new account though.

> I've seen no signs that it's Chinese propaganda, unless you assume that Bytedance is bowing to Trump

Have you not noticed that he keeps pushing out the enforcement date for the tiktok sale legislation?

He's extremely transactional. So why do you think he keeps giving them a break?

Probably because the content on TikTok is extremely favorable to Trump. I don't see how that counts as propaganda coming straight from the CCP.

The TikTok bill appeared to have died on the vine until it started to get a lot of Pro-Palestine content then all of a sudden it reappeared and the ban got put into law. I think Trump stopping the ban was actually the first major loss for pro Israel interests(certainly not the last we have seen so far).

They've removed a lot of por Palestine content by shadowbanning creators and not recommending videos, though. Not really a loss :(

I would say its not that extreme on the platform(I still see the week old TikTok posts sometimes reposted on other platforms) but regardless, the damage has been done. As they continue to lose this information war, their tactics become more and more unhinged. See the recent bill banning boycotting Israel products with a punishment of a million dollars fine. It was met with such backlash that politicians quickly withdrew it. Even MAGA jumped on board to block that.