TikTok and Security Concerns
TikTok and Security Concerns
The number of countries banning TikTok, a video sharing app, is growing over concerns that China is collecting data on customers that may later be weaponized by the Chinese state.
By D. S. Mitchell
The Five Eyes
The United States, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, and Australia have each recently banned TikTok from federal government devices amid growing concerns over the app’s ties to China. The aforementioned countries form the so-called “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing partners. Government experts fear sensitive information could be exposed when TikTok is downloaded, especially on government devices. The recent U.S. ban applies only to government devices, although numerous US lawmakers are advocating an outright ban of the app. Both the FBI and the FCC warn that ByteDance could share TikTok user data with China’s authoritarian government. More than half of the 50 US states have banned the app from government devices. An outright ban of the app was blocked in the United States Senate at the end of March.
Inside United States
TikTok has 150 million users in the United States. Pew Research estimates that roughly two-thirds of US teens use TikTok. Aside from the security threat there is also concern that TikTok’s content could harm teenagers’ mental health. Researchers said in a December report that eating disorder content on TikTok had accumulated 13.2 billion views.
Other Countries Follow U.S. Lead
The European Parliament, European Commission, and the EU Council, the three top EU bodies, have all banned TikTok on staff devices, citing cybersecurity concerns. Estonia, France, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, India, Afghanistan, Taiwan, and Pakistan have also recognized the danger TikTok presents and have restricted its use on all government devices.
CEO Claims Independence From China
TikTok is owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance. The company CEO, Shou Zi Chew, recently appeared before the U.S. Congress and testified that the company is run independently and does not share data with the Chinese government. Furthermore, CEO, Shou Zi Chew aggressively disputed accusations that TikTok collects more customer information than other social media companies and describes the recent bans as “without deliberation or evidence.”
Why All The Excitement?
The deepening rivalry and the growing tensions between the United States and China are central to these actions. The Biden Administration believes China intends to harness user data to fuel influence operations directed at American citizens. From the large number of countries banning the app on government phones also see a looming threat. ByteDance denies that any user data is at risk and claims it cannot be accessed by Beijing. But the reality of the situation is clear; Chinese law obligates any company or citizen to aid state intelligence. Let me repeat that, Chinese law obligates any company or citizen to aid state intelligence. That fact alone should make us all a bit uneasy.
On The Other Hand
Observers of the situation claim the biggest danger to American privacy is not the Chinese government but rather a system that allows any tech company to harvest users’ data. Many folks are asking where has Congress been? While ranting about TikTok the US Congress has failed to pass even the most basic comprehensive privacy legislation to protect our data from misuse by any and all tech companies.
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