New York US Senator Chuck Schumer and President Donald Trump rarely agree on anything, but I have found one item where both concur: Tik Tok is a national security threat that needs to be addressed.
For those of us under the age of 50, who may not use or know what Tik Tok is, the social media app that began in 2017 and has more than 2 billion downloads is used to create and share videos with a circle of friends, or the larger TikTok universe. More than 110 Million Americans use TikTok and have downloaded the app.
The video -social networking app, owned by the Beijing-based company ByteDance,, has come under scrutiny over privacy concerns and its alleged ties to the Chinese government. “We are now evaluating each instance where we believe that U.S. citizens’ data that they have on their phones or in their system or in their health care records. We want to make sure that the Chinese Communist Party doesn’t have a way to easily access that,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
Young people love the app for its ability to video lip-synching or dancing along with top songs, and posting it. You can also follow others on TikTok, including the many celebrities and musicians who use it to promote their latest works, and some have more than 10 million followers. TikTok’s editing feature allows everyone who uses it to create professional quality videos.
The concerns about TikTok are connected to the fact that ByteDance, is privately owned and controlled by the Chinese Community Party, (CCP), and TikTok’s content is being stores and preserved by the CCP as part of their informatoin technology gathering operations.
And that concern is what brings our President and the Minority Leader of the US Senate from NY, together. Schumer’s concerns started last year, when he wrote to US military and intelligence agencies expressing his concerns about their use of TikTok.
“We write to express our concerns about TikTok, a short-form video application, and the national security risks posed by its growing use in the United States. TikTok is owned by Beijing-based technology company ByteDance, which operates several other content platforms in China. ByteDance regards its platforms as part of an artificial intelligence company powered by algorithms that “learn” each user’s interests and preferences through repeat interaction.
“TikTok’s terms of service and privacy policies describe how it collects data from its users and their devices, including user content and communications, IP address, location-related data, device identifiers, cookies, metadata, and other sensitive personal information. While the company has stated that TikTok does not operate in China and stores U.S. user data in the U.S., ByteDance is still required to adhere to the laws of China.
“Security experts have voiced concerns that China’s vague patchwork of intelligence, national security, and cybersecurity laws compel Chinese companies to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Without an independent judiciary to review requests made by the Chinese government for data or other actions, there is no legal mechanism for Chinese companies to appeal if they disagree with a request.
“Questions have also been raised regarding the potential for censorship or manipulation of certain content. TikTok reportedly censors materials deemed politically sensitive to the Chinese Communist Party, including content related to the recent Hong Kong protests, as well as references to Tiananmen Square, Tibetan and Taiwanese independence, and the treatment of Uighurs. The platform is also a potential target of foreign influence campaigns like those carried out during the 2016 election on U.S.-based social media platforms.
“The Administration has rightly taken initial steps to address other critical security risks posed by China. These steps include the addition of Huawei to the Entity List, as well as the recent Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States orders for certain Chinese firms to divest their stakes in U.S. companies over concerns about the security of sensitive personal data. However, further action is needed, particularly as China continues to shut out U.S.-based technology firms while promoting and expanding the global reach of its own companies.
“With over 110 million downloads in the U.S. alone, TikTok is a potential counterintelligence threat we cannot ignore. Given these concerns, we ask that the Intelligence Community conduct an assessment of the national security risks posed by TikTok and other China-based content platforms operating in the U.S. and brief Congress on these findings. Thank you for your consideration regarding this important matter,” wrote Schumer and US Senator Tom Cotton.
India banned TikTok and its 660 million users in their country and President Trump has threatened to do the same. Sen. Schumer and others are hoping that an American company can buy TikTok so “so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe. This is about privacy,” Schumer wrote. “With TikTok in China, it’s subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government. A safe way must be found for TikTok to continue.”
Microsoft is a possible buyer of TikTok, but Micosoft Chairman Bill Gates warned about the difficulties involved in a purchase. Trump has put a deadline at the end of September to negotiate a sale of ban the APP from the US
In June of this year, The Anonymous group tweeted “Delete TikTok now. If you know someone that is using it, explain to them that it is essentially malware operated by the Chinese government running a massive spying operation.”
