China claims that the US has inflated national security concerns over TikTok in an effort to suppress the Chinese startup. Due to concerns over cyber-security, US federal entities have been asked to remove the Chinese app from all staff devices within 30 days. Canada and the EU have taken similar actions, and some politicians have called for nationwide bans.
TikTok executives, who successfully escaped having their popular app banned in the US by then-president Donald Trump in 2020, had to deal with a barrage of inquiries every day about the dangers TikTok presented to cyber security. The topic was largely put to rest in 2021 when President Joe Biden overturned Trump's proposal due to various complicated legal challenges.
One could almost hear a sigh of relief from both TikTok and the millions of influencers who rely on the social media app to make a career.
But now, in an ironic nod to the video app's recognizable looping style, we have come full circle. With the stakes even higher now.
Nearly three years prior to Trump's planned ban, TikTok had been downloaded 800 million times worldwide. As of now, 3.5 billion people have downloaded it, according to app analytics company Sensor Tower.
With a rise in geopolitical strain between China and Western Countries, it is clear that the future of TikTok is more at risk than ever.
We are listing some of the prime cyber-security concerns pertaining to TikTok that are continually raised, and how the company addresses them:
1. TikTok Collects an ‘Excessive’ Amount of Data
TikTok's critics frequently claim that it collects vast amounts of data. It's common to use a cyber-security assessment from Internet 2.0, an Australian cyber business, from July 2022 as proof.
Researchers examined the source code of the app and found evidence of "excessive data harvesting" within it. According to analysts, TikTok gathers information about users' locations, the devices they are using, and the other apps they have installed.
Although, a similar test conducted by Citizen Lab concluded that "in comparison to other popular social media platforms, TikTok collects similar types of data to track user behavior."
Likewise, a report by the Georgia Institute of Technology in January states "The key fact here is that most other social media and mobile apps do the same things."
2. TikTok Could be Used as a ‘Brain-washing’ Tool
TikTok's spokeswoman said: "Our community guidelines prohibit misinformation that could cause harm to our community or the larger public, which includes engaging in co-ordinated inauthentic behavior."
In November 2022, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the US lawmakers: "The Chinese government could… control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations."
Douyin, a sibling app to TikTok that is exclusively available in China, is heavily censored and purportedly designed to encourage the viral spread of positive and wholesome content, which adds fuel to those worries.
In fact, all social networking sites in China are closely monitored by an army of internet police, who apparently take down content that criticizes the government or instigates political unrest.
As TikTok gained popularity, there were high-profile instances of censorship on the app. For example, a user in the US had her account suspended for denouncing Beijing's treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang; following a ferocious public outcry, TikTok issued an apology and restored the account.
Since then, there have not been many instances of censorship, aside from the contentious moderation choices that all platforms must make.
Although, while comparing TikTok and Douyin, Citizen Lab researchers concluded that the later does not comprise any political censorship.
The Georgia University of Technology analysts also looked for jokes about Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and issues like Taiwan's independence. They came to the following conclusion: "Videos in all of these categories can easily be found on TikTok. Many are popular and widely shared."
Theoretical Risk
Hence comes the entire picture of theoretical fears and risk.
Certain critics deem TikTok as a “Trojan horse,” meaning although it may look harmless, it could potentially be utilized as a powerful weapon in times of conflict.
The app is already banned in India, in an initiative taken against the app and dozens of other Chinese platforms in the year 2020.
Nonetheless, a US ban on TikTok might have a significant effect on the site since allies of the US frequently support such measures.
Moreover, it is worth mentioning that risks are a one-way street. Due to the long-standing restriction on access for Chinese individuals, China need not be concerned about US apps.
