The FBI chief issued a public caution about the “national security concerns” that the Chinese-owned TikTok app may create.
Particularly during the pandemic, the well-known social media content-sharing platform gained prominence. TikTok boasts one billion users globally, with material uploaded and posted by individuals of all ages. However, after looking at the program, American investigators inferred that the Chinese might use it as a data weapon. With millions of users nationally, TikTok has already established a foothold in the US. So, the FBI warned people about the risks associated with using the program.
Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, voiced before the Homeland Security Committee his worries about TikTok’s privacy practices. Republican legislators docketed a measure to outlaw the use of the program in the United States days before the warning.
“They include the possibility that the Chinese government could use it to control data collection on millions of users or control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations if they so chose, or to control software on millions of devices, which allows it to compromise personal devices potentially technically,” Wray said.
Chinese-owned ByteDance oversees TikTok’s operations. Investigations by the federal government suggest that ByteDance may gain from the data of American consumers. Applications like TikTok may access user data following Chinese national security rules. The claims were refuted by TikTok, who also stated they could not access US-based data since the company still stored it there.
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TikTok responds to the allegations
A TikTok spokesman dismissed the FBI’s allegations. In addition, the spokesman gave the American government guarantees that they will comply with all the country’s applicable privacy and information regulations. However, TikTok received criticism from many high-ranking officials before Wray even raised the concerns. It includes President Biden and former President Donald Trump.
“As Director Wray specified in his remarks, the FBI’s input is being considered as part of our ongoing negotiations with the U.S. Government. While we can’t comment on the specifics of those confidential discussions, we are confident that we are on a path to satisfy all reasonable U.S. national security concerns fully,” the spokesperson said.
“In light of this new report, we ask that your agency immediately initiate a Section 5 investigation based on apparent deception by TikTok. And coordinate this work with any national security or counter-intelligence investigation that the U.S. Department of Justice may initiate,” said lawmakers following a BuzzFeed leak sending TikTok under public scrutiny.
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Banning the company in the U.S.
As several authorities pushed to prohibit the program from the United States, TikTok faces challenges. Politicians forced the federal government to ban TikTok from the United States a few months ago. TikTok, however, went to court to refute the accusations. As a result, the problem subsided for some time. Many finally found the leverage to demand a ban when Wray brought TikTok back into the limelight.
“This is not something you would normally hear me say. But Donald Trump was right on TikTok years ago if your country uses Huawei if your kids are on TikTok. So the ability for China to have undue influence is a much greater challenge and a much more immediate threat than any kind of actual, armed conflict,” said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner.
Photo Credit: Graeme Jennings
Source: NPR
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