China has opposed a bill in the US Congress that could lead to TikTok being banned in the country, labeling it unfair.
This dispute is part of a longstanding conflict over safety worries about the app, which is owned by a Chinese firm. Many Western officials, politicians, and security personnel have been forbidden from using it on their work devices.
So what are the top three cyber concerns about TikTok, and how does the company address th1. em?
1. TikTok gathers a lot of data, which some consider to be too much.
TikTok claims that the way it collects data is similar to what other companies in the industry do.
Critics often claim that TikTok gathers a vast amount of data. They often refer to a cybersecurity report published in July 2022 by researchers at Internet 2.0, an Australian cyber-company, as evidence.
These researchers examined the app’s source code and found that it engages in “excessive data gathering.” They pointed out that TikTok collects information like location, device specifics, and the presence of other apps on the device.
However, another study conducted by Citizen Lab reached a different conclusion. They stated that “compared to other popular social media platforms, TikTok collects similar types of data to track user behavior.”
Similarly, a report from the Georgia Institute of Technology last year emphasized that “most other social media and mobile apps do similar things.”
2. Some people worry that TikTok might allow the Chinese government to spy on its users.
While privacy experts may find it concerning, many of us understand that when we use social networks, we’re essentially agreeing to share our personal data. These platforms provide their services for free but gather information about us to tailor advertisements on their site or to sell our data to other companies for targeted advertising across the internet.
What sets TikTok apart, according to critics, is that it’s owned by Byte Dance, a tech giant based in Beijing, China. This makes TikTok different from other mainstream apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, which are all founded in the United States. Despite similar data collection practices, TikTok’s ownership raises concerns about potential government access to user data.
For a long time, US lawmakers, as well as most countries globally, have operated under the assumption that the data collected by these platforms wouldn’t be misused in ways that could threaten national security.
In 2020, Donald Trump issued an executive order claiming that TikTok’s data collection could potentially enable China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, gather personal information for blackmail, and engage in corporate espionage.
However, so far, there’s only speculation about these risks, with no concrete evidence. Yet, concerns are fueled by a vague provision in China’s National Intelligence Law, passed in 2017.
Article seven of this law requires all Chinese organizations and citizens to support and cooperate with the country’s intelligence efforts. This provision is often cited by those suspicious not only of TikTok but of all Chinese companies.
Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology argue that the sentence from China’s National Intelligence Law is often misunderstood. They point out that the law includes provisions protecting the rights of users and private companies.
Since 2020, TikTok executives have repeatedly reassured users that Chinese staff cannot access the data of non-Chinese users. However, in 2022, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, acknowledged that some of its Beijing-based employees did access the data of at least two journalists in the US and UK. They tracked their locations and checked if they were meeting with TikTok employees suspected of leaking information to the media.
A spokesperson for TikTok stated that the employees who accessed the data were terminated. The company emphasizes that user data has never been stored in China. They are also constructing data centers in Texas for US user data and in Europe for data from its citizens.
In the EU, TikTok has taken extra steps beyond other social networks by partnering with an independent cybersecurity firm to monitor all data usage at its European facilities. TikTok assures users that the data of European users is kept safe in a specially designed secure environment. Only authorized employees can access this data, and their actions are closely monitored and verified by independent oversight.
3. Some people are concerned that TikTok might be used to influence or manipulate users’ thoughts and beliefs.
In November 2022, Christopher Wray, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, expressed concerns to US lawmakers about the possibility that the Chinese government could manipulate TikTok’s recommendation algorithm for influence operations. This claim has been reiterated multiple times.
These worries are intensified by the observation that TikTok’s sister app, Douyin, available only in China, is subject to heavy censorship. Douyin is reportedly designed to promote educational and wholesome content to its young user base.
In China, all social networks undergo strict censorship, with government authorities actively deleting content that criticizes the government or incites political unrest.
At the beginning of TikTok’s rise to popularity, there were notable instances of censorship on the app. For example, a user in the US had her account suspended for discussing Beijing’s treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang. Following significant public outcry, TikTok issued an apology and reinstated the account.
Since then, there have been few instances of censorship on TikTok, apart from the usual controversial moderation decisions that all platforms face.
Researchers at Citizen Lab compared TikTok and Douyin and concluded in 2021 that TikTok doesn’t implement the same level of political censorship. They stated, “The platform doesn’t visibly censor posts.
Analysts from the Georgia Institute of Technology also investigated topics like the independence of Taiwan or jokes about Chinese Premier Xi Jinping. They found that videos covering these topics are readily available on TikTok and are often popular and widely shared.
Potential risk
In summary, the concerns surrounding TikTok mostly revolve around theoretical fears and potential risks.
Critics liken TikTok to a “Trojan horse,” suggesting that despite its seemingly harmless appearance, it could become a significant weapon during times of conflict.
India already banned the app in 2020, along with numerous other Chinese platforms. However, a potential ban in the US could have a substantial impact on TikTok, as typically US allies tend to follow similar decisions.
This was evident when the US effectively persuaded others to prevent the Chinese telecom giant Huawei from being used in 5G networks, citing theoretical risks.
It’s important to highlight that these risks only seem to apply in one direction. China doesn’t face similar concerns about US apps because access to them has been blocked for Chinese citizens for many years.