The Daily Show: Ears Edition - China's Tech Crackdown

Episode Date: October 3, 2021

China's government initiates a wide-ranging technology crackdown on cryptocurrency, time spent playing video games and Douyin, the country's version of TikTok, and Dulcé Sloan is all for it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at, that's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News,

listened to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17. We all love technology. You know, it's what lets us secretly watch our Airbnb guests while we're out of town. But we also recognize that in the last few years, technology has unleashed a lot of social changes that people are worried about. And different countries have addressed these problems in different ways. You know, in America,

the government has talked a lot about regulating big tech, then taken huge campaign contributions from big tech and forgotten all about it. So that's one approach. But one country has been taking much thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa thia thia thia thia thia thia. thia thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. thiiiii. that's thi. that's thi. thi. that's it. So that's one approach. But one country has been taking much more drastic steps. And I'm talking about China. Rising superpower and country that has held the world record for most Chinese people for 4,000 years straight. China's government isn't hamstrung by annoying things like democracy or human rights. So when they see a problem, well, they go after it a whole lot harder. For example, cryptocurrency.

Everyone in the West is trying to figure out how to regulate cryptocurrency while respecting the free market. And now China's response is, ah, we have another idea. Cryptocurrency is now illegal in China. Today, China's central bank declared all transactions involving Bitcoin and other virtual currencies illegal. It's the latest effort from China to block the use of the unofficial digital money. Chinese officials say cryptocurrency disrupts the financial system and leads to money laundering and other crimes.

Man, you know crypto's got issues when the Chinese government thinks it's too shady. Yeah, they're like, everything needs to be by the books when we're selling authentic Larry Vuitton bags. And look, it is true. Crypto is used for crimes and money laundering. But on the other hand, people who are not criminals have also invested their savings into it. And China just got rid of it one day without any warning. Bam, it's gone. You know, this reminds me of the time I came home from school, and my mom had thrown

out my entire porn collection. Wait, no, I don't want to say porn collection. Let's do it again and say baseball cards. Yeah, that's better. again let's do it again and say baseball cards yeah when my mom threw out my entire baseball card collection yeah that's better it was a huge porn collection though man oh man I miss it so much but China isn't just worried about how its citizens spend their money it's worried about how they spend their time for example people in China spend more time playing video games than any other country in their time. For example, people in China spend more time playing

video games than any other country in the world. And now the Chinese government is pulling the plug. Kids in China will have their video game time greatly reduced, not by mom and dad, but by the Chinese government. Anyone under 18 is now limited to just an hour of online gaming per day on weekends and holidays between 8 and 9 p.m. It's all part of Beijing's crackdown on gaming addiction. Phew. Oh man, I've got to say this is very short-sighted of China. Only three hours of video games a week. I mean, yeah, maybe your kids will get more fresh and exercise,

but huh. They're going to grow up having no idea how to catch a Pokemon. week? I mean, yeah, maybe your kids will get more fresh and exercise, but, huh, they're gonna grow up having no idea how to catch a Pokemon. A few years from now, those things are going to be overrunning the cities. The Pokemon are everywhere! They're everywhere! There's something we gotta do to them all! But what is it? What are we gonna do? So, this is rough news for Chinese gamers. th this is great news for me. Yeah, looks like you won't be beating me in war zone tonight, Wei Zhang. Because you're not a lot of play until the weekend. Guess I'm gonna get my ass beat by a South Korean teenager instead, which?

Which? Ha ha ha! Now, of course, if you want to limit kids' screen time, you can't just stop at video games, right? More and more, they're spending their time on social media apps, like TikTok, which is why China is bringing down the hammer on that too. Another tech crackdown for kids in China, Doe Yin that's a China's version of Tick To limiting users under 14 years old to only 40 minutes a day. The youth mode will also restrict kids under the age of 14 to use the app between 6 a.m.

and 10 p.m. the app will be inaccessible to those users outside of those hours. It applies to all users who are registered with their real names and age. Wait, wait, wait. Do Yin is China's version of TikTok? I thought TikTok was China's version of TikTok. Am I the only one who thought this? But this is bad news for Do Yin. I mean, if kids can only be online for 40 minutes a day,

then the only people left on your app are gonna be old people. Let's be honest, you don't need two Facebooks. And look, I'm not one of those people who thiiiiiiiii people who people who people who people who thi people who thi people who thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thinks who thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thiii thiiiiiiiii thiiiiiiiiii thi thi thi thi thi Let's be honest, you don't need two Facebooks. And look, and look, I'm not one of those people who thinks China made TikTok so that they could steal everyone's data and spy on their dance movies. But you have to admit, it is a little weird that they got the rest of us addicted everywhere in the world and then they turn to their kids like, okay, you guys stop now. Why? We'll tell you later. The rest of us are just there like. But aside from video games and social media, there's another obsession that China is particularly nervous about.

And that celebrity fan culture. Yeah. You know how celebrities all have these rabid devoted fan bases like the Swifties or the Belibers or the Bayhive? I also have my own fan group. Yeah, they, they, they, they, the the the the, the, the the, the the, the th, th, th, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, like, like, the, the, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, thea, thea, theaa''a'a'a'a'ea'a'ea'ea'ea'ea'a'ea'a'ea, thea, th Swifties or the Beliebers or the Beehive. I mean I also have my own fan group. Yeah, they call themselves the Trevor Noah fans. I mean, it's not a great name, you know. I suggested something more fun like the Noah's or the Dimplings, but they just got mad

and doxed me. It's a very toxic community. I need to do something about it. The point is, China is worried about how out of control these groups are getting, and so they're clamping down on that too. China is cleaning up its entertainment industry, clamping down on what it calls chaotic fan culture. Millions of young fans, loyal to famous actors and singers are a lucrative force in China's entertainment industry. Now, celebrity fan clubs have become the latest target of government regulators. Authorities have banned activities which encourage fans to spend money on their favorite stars.

Online celebrity rankings and discussions about their salaries are also prohibited. State media newspaper, the Global Times, says fan clubs could be used to manipulate minds and split Chinese society. Whoa, whoa, whoa, people, people. If you ban the population from obsessively following celebrities, how are people supposed to know what to buy, how to look or whose testicles are really swollen? Do you know what you're doing here? I mean look I also get it from China's perspective. You know every minute Chinese people spend idolizing celebrities is a minute they're not spending idolizing the Communist Party. So Jijin-Pin can either ban them or compete with them. Now let's be honest, competing with them is not going to work. Watch the Daily Show, Weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full

episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. You're rolling? But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17.

This has been a Comedy Central podcast.