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| Why does the US think TikTok is a threat to its national security? |
Last week, the US House of Representatives issued a directive banning the use of the TikTok app on any mobile device in the House of Representatives, as it poses many security risks and poses a significant threat to user safety.
In an internal memo sent to employees, Kathryn L. Szbindo, executive director of the home, said: "Domestic workers are not allowed to download the TikTok app on a home mobile device due to the many security risks it poses. It poses a significant risk to users."
But on March 10, 2022, two weeks after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the White House held a Zoom conference call with 30 of TikTok's top content creators and then White House President Jen Psaki (Jane Psaki and the Council). The members kept the movers and shakers—who collectively have tens of millions of followers—updated on recent struggles and the White House's goals and priorities.
This is not the first White House meeting with TikTok content creators, as it comes after a similar meeting in the summer of 2021, when the White House recruited dozens of TikTok content creators to encourage young people to take action against the Coronavirus (Covid19).
Explaining the need for such a meeting, White House Director of Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty said, “We realize that TikTok is a very important tool for the American public to know what's going on, so it's important that the app has the most up-to-date information.”Trusted Source.
In the meantime; The Biden administration is negotiating with the Chinese company (ByteDance), which owns TikTok, over national security concerns related to the app. White House staffers who host meetings and chats with content creators cannot download the app to their work phones.
All of this leads us to an important issue. Why is the world's largest government taking such a divisive approach to social media apps?
The government's ambivalent approach to TikTok — viewing the app as an important channel of communication with the American public, but worrying about the app's potential as a tool for foreign influence — may reflect the unique issues TikTok has raised since its launch. the answers. Extraordinary global success.
The TikTok application has succeeded in reshaping American culture, and the exceptional success of the application confirms that it belongs to China, America's number one geopolitical rival. How TikTok permeated American society.
The fact that TikTok is a Chinese app has raised ongoing and long-running concerns about its exploitation by the Chinese government, which has been the subject of constant media scrutiny and questionable statements about the company almost every week for the past year. For just six months, TikTok and ByteDance have been accused more than once of falsely claiming that Chinese employees had access to US user data.
An unprecedented government decision to ban the Tik Tok application:
While TikTok's popularity has so far afforded it some protection from government action, some government officials are running out of patience, and in the days leading up to the end of 2022, we're seeing a series of unprecedented moves. How to prevent the US House of Representatives from blocking the app on any committee device.
Previously, in December 2022, the Senate voted unanimously to pass a bill banning the use of TikTok in government agencies. Concerned about the security risks, federal lawmakers introduced legislation in December that would ban the app from operating in the United States.
FBI Director Christopher Wray also warned lawmakers after the US midterm elections that the Chinese government could use TikTok to control users' devices for influence or espionage.
The US government is expected to soon ban all federal agencies from using TikTok under legislation included in the $1.7 trillion budget bill pending President Joe Biden's signature.
The moves come after 19 US government agencies banned use of the app last week over concerns that the Chinese government might use it to track and direct Americans with false information, according to Reuters.
ByteDance, the queen of TikTok, previously called efforts to block the app in US government agencies a "political move that does nothing to advance national security interests" and refused to comply with the restrictions. actor.
Is the proposed TikTok ban in the US more about politics than data security?
According to experts, yes, Georgetown University law professor Anupam Chand said: “There is no concrete evidence that American TikTok users are sharing their data or that the Chinese government is using the data for political purposes. The Chinese have access to the data. Not the Chinese government itself, but the allegations that arrived. It is referred to by individuals within the structure (ByteDance), which is a given to the company that developed the app.
Many lawmakers are concerned about the built-in geolocation services, which they fear will be used for spying purposes. But when it comes to social media apps, location tracking is one of the main features and it's there: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, all US based apps.
In response, Chandler said, "It certainly makes sense that American soldiers would be asked not to use the TikTok app on their phones because it might share your location information with other entities, but it also applies to weather apps and then as well." So are many other apps on phones, whether they belong to China or not. He also warned against what he called "the politicization of national security."
As Ryan Callow, a professor of law and data science at the University of Washington, puts it, “Privacy protections in the United States have not been greatly improved, so the proposed anti-TikTok legislation has more to do with geopolitical tensions with China than with China that makes sense.”
“The FBI says TikTok raises national security concerns, but the truth is, if a sophisticated Chinese intelligence agency wanted to collect information on some US government employees, it would never have to turn to an app like TikTok,” Calo added.
Where will this political struggle lead?
Many have wondered if the company that owns TikTok can do anything to ease Americans' concerns. Given that it is a Chinese company, especially since the Republicans took over the US House of Representatives in January. The biggest opposition to TikTok comes from the Republican Party, which has a tougher history with Beijing than the Democrats.
Republicans are also pressuring Democrats as US President Joe Biden negotiates a long-term deal with TikTok that would address national security concerns and give China US ownership of the app.
But the Biden administration has so far been divided over two things, first: redesigning the TikTok app to overcome security problems, and second: forcing the company that owns the app (ByteDance) to withdraw its investments in the United States, according to a Politico report.
Whether it is asking the US government to restructure the TikTok app or divestment from the company, this move will be one of the most aggressive moves the US government has taken so far to protect China's business interests in the US, select the slogan "Relevant reasons. For security." national.”