編按：中國短影音社群平台抖音（TilTok）購併案是這陣子全球科技業最火熱的話題，不過讓許多人更關注的是，使用抖音下所暗藏的隱私洩漏問題。在台灣也有越來越多的青少年喜歡上傳短影片到抖音APP，儼然成為時下最新潮流，究竟美國的大學生怎麼看抖音？對於上傳影片到抖音又有甚麼看法呢？
本文作者Eric老師將解析華爾街日報中的抖音報導，並挑出重要單字逐一解析，只要讀懂這些單字，相信在閱讀文章時能夠更輕鬆容易理解，接下來讓我們跟著Eric老師的腳步一起學習吧！
Is the news ticking you off?
★★★★★★★★★★★★《華爾街日報》：美國大學生對抖音的看法：
1. TikTok Is No Free App
Everyone I know uses TikTok. Especially during the pandemic, the video-sharing app has provided free entertainment for millions of teenagers. But serious ethical and privacy issues remain. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is based in Beijing and subject to Chinese laws that require companies to work with government intelligence agencies if asked. There can be no guarantee that your private information won’t be shared with the Chinese government.
（相關報導：
為何TikTok短短15秒就讓年輕人瘋狂上癮？揭秘大人無法理解的驚奇魔力
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1. TikTok 抖音（中國公司開發的軟體）2. pandemic 全球大流行疫情3. ethical and privacy issues 道德與隱私問題4. sth’s parent company ……的母公司5. be based in 將某地設為總部；以某處為主要地點6. subject to 使服從；使隸屬；使遭受7. government intelligence agencies 政府情報機構
我認識的人都在用抖音。尤其在大流行病期間，這個影片分享應用為數以百萬計的青少年提供了免費娛樂。然而，它在道德和私隱方面仍存在嚴重的問題。抖音母公司字節跳動的總部在北京，受中國法律約束，一旦有要求，企業就必須配合中國政府情報機構的工作。所以無法確保你的個人資訊不會被分享給中國政府。Furthermore, TikTok censors unflattering information about China. The company says it has updated its moderation guidelines, which no longer reference specific countries and incidents, but whatever the official wording, the intent is clear. Using TikTok means acceding to this suppression of free speech and violation of our privacy. It might be fun to sing and dance with your friends, but don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s free.
8. censor unflattering information 審查不符上意的資訊9. update its moderation guidelines 更新它的審查準則10. no longer 不再11. reference specific countries and incidents 提及具體的國家與事件12. official wording 官方的措辭13. the intent is clear 該意圖是明確的14. accede to 答應；同意15. the suppression of free speech 言論自由的壓迫16. make the mistake of 犯下⋯⋯的錯誤
此外，抖音還會審查有關中國的負面資訊。抖音公司稱他們已經更新了審查準則，不再提及具體的國家和事件，但無論公司官方怎麼說，其審查意圖是明確的。使用抖音就意味著接受了其壓制言論自由和侵犯用戶私隱的做法。和朋友一起唱歌跳舞可能很有趣，但別錯誤地認為這一切是沒有代價的。
2. Less Hype, More Fun
When it comes to privacy, TikTok worries me no more than U.S. social-media apps do. Mobile apps live in what technologists call a “sandbox.” Unlike apps on your computer, which have access to the whole machine, mobile apps can only view a limited portion of your data—the parts to which users give it access, such as your contacts. Sometimes they exceed the user agreements in certain limited ways, but deleting TikTok out of anxiety that the Chinese are reading your private text messages is irrational.
17. when it comes to… 當提及⋯⋯18. no more than 最多；不超過；僅僅*19. social-media apps 社群媒體應用程式20. sandbox 沙盒21. have access to 可以進入⋯⋯22. a limited portion of ⋯⋯的一小部分23. exceed the user agreements 超越用戶協議24. out of anxiety 出於焦慮25. irrational 不合理的；沒有理性的
說到私隱，抖音並不比美國的社交媒體應用更讓我擔心。行動應用程式位於技術專家所謂的「沙盒」當中，它與電腦上的應用程式不同，後者可連接訪問整臺機器，而前者只能查看到一小部分數據，即用戶允許它訪問的部分，比如你的通訊錄。雖然他們有時採取有限的方式超越用戶協議，但因擔心中國人會看到你私人資訊而刪除抖音是不理性的。—Reed, University of Texas, finance
3. The Real Problem
Privacy should be a concern, and it’s good to hear the federal government is at least looking into it. But the bigger issue with TikTok is the drain on productivity. If Instagram is caffeine, addictive but with a clear purpose, TikTok is cocaine. I have in mind friends of mine who rot their brains watching TikTok videos for hours at a time—all while on “five-minute study breaks.”
26. it’s good to hear 很高興聽到……27. the federal government 聯邦政府28. looking into sth 調查；研究29. the drain on productivity 生產力耗盡30. caffeine 咖啡因31. addictive 使人上癮的32. cocaine 古柯鹼33. have sth in mind 想好；慮及34. five-minute study breaks 讀書時的五分鐘休息時間
私隱問題應當受到關注，我很高興聽到聯邦政府至少在調查此事。但是抖音更大的問題是對生產力的消耗。如果說Instagram是令人上癮的咖啡因，但它至少目的明確，那麼抖音就是古柯鹼。我想起了我的一些朋友在「五分鐘學習休息」間隙，一看起抖音影片就是好幾個小時，看多了腦子都壞了。—Sam, Columbia University, financial economics
（相關報導：
為何TikTok短短15秒就讓年輕人瘋狂上癮？揭秘大人無法理解的驚奇魔力
｜
更多文章
）
4. Join the Club
TikTok’s connection to China doesn’t concern me—almost every other social-media platform has equally difficult privacy concerns. Facebook is paying a $5 billion fine to the Federal Trade Commission for violating user privacy. Google keeps every search a user makes, and many Google services on Android devices and iPhones track the user’s location. I’ve no doubt that my iPhone, which was made largely in China and contains all my banking information, emails, text messages and more, gives Apple a frightening amount of information about me.
35. connection to 與⋯⋯的關係36. privacy concerns 隱私顧慮37. pay a fine 繳交罰金38. violate user privacy 違反用戶隱私39. track the user’s location 追蹤用戶的位置40. have no doubt 毫無疑問41. be made in china 是中國製造42. banking information 銀行資訊43. a frightening amount of information 數量驚人的資訊
我並不是很在意抖音與中國的關係，幾乎所有其他社交媒體平臺都存在同樣棘手的私隱問題。Facebook因侵犯用戶私隱被聯邦貿易委員會罰了５０億美元。Google會記錄用戶的每一次搜索，且許多安卓設備和iPhone上的Google服務會追蹤用戶位置。我絕對相信我的iPhone給了蘋果公司大量關於我的資訊，裡面有我所有的銀行資訊、電子郵件、訊息等等，而iPhone大多是中國製造。—Andrew, Georgetown University, government
（圖/Eric's English Lounge提供）
