TikTok’s CEO faced criticism in the US Congress on Thursday as more and more governments ban the app from official devices.
The video-sharing app was banned from UK government phones last week and has now been rolled out to all parliamentary devices and networks. A similar ban was issued by the Scottish government.
The EU has introduced a similar ban on personal devices, as have a number of individual European countries, the US, Canada and New Zealand.
Concerns about TikTok stem from the fact that it is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. There are concerns that ByteDance may share user data with the Chinese government.
Here’s everything you need to know about TikTok bans, app security, and what might happen next.
Where is TikTok banned?
TikTok has been banned on government devices in the following countries:
- United Kingdom
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- Holland
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Taiwan
- USA
The European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU have also banned the app on personal devices.
India completely banned TikTok in 2020 due to security concerns following a clash between Indian and Chinese troops on the border with the Himalayas. The app is also banned in Afghanistan.
Cabinet Secretary Oliver Dowden announced a ban on UK government devices last week, saying it was “good cyber hygiene” amid the risk to “sensitive government data”.
“The security of sensitive government information must come first, which is why we are banning this app from government devices today. The use of other data mining applications is under investigation,” he said.
A parliamentary spokesman said on Thursday that TikTok “will be blocked on all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network.”
“Cybersecurity is a top priority for Parliament, but we do not comment on the specific details of our cyber or physical security controls, policies or incidents,” they added.
Prominent political TikTokers, such as Energy Security Minister Grant Shapps, can continue to use the app on their phone identities, but will not be able to access the app over parliamentary Wi-Fi.
Can TikTok be banned from public viewing?
The UK government has no plans to ban TikTok from the general public. Science and Technology Minister Michelle Donelan told MPs last week that the public can continue to use the app.
“It’s definitely a personal choice,” she said. “But because we have the strictest privacy laws in the world, we are confident that the public will be able to continue to use them.”
However, it is likely that in the US it will be banned. TikTok said last week that President Joe Biden’s administration is demanding that Chinese owners relinquish their stake or face a possible ban.
The company’s CEO, Shou Zi Chu, came under fire during a hearing in the US Congress on Thursday.
“TikTok collects just about every data imaginable, from where people are, to what they type and copy, to who they talk to, to biometrics, and more,” said Cathy McMorris Rogers, Republican chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. , at the beginning of the conference. Hearing.
“We don’t believe TikTok will ever adopt American values — values like freedom, human rights and innovation,” she said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party “is capable of using it as a tool to manipulate America.” .”
Highlighting his Singaporean roots, Mr. Chu attempted to highlight the app’s independence from China, stating, “TikTok itself is not available in mainland China, our headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and currently employs 7,000 people in the US. ”
He said the company is “committed” to keeping TikTok “without any manipulation by any government,” adding, “We do not promote or remove any content at the request of the Chinese government.”
Mr Chu also faced questions about the potential harm the app could cause to teens’ mental health.
Is it safe to use TikTok?
As a company based in China, ByteDance is required to provide user data to the authorities upon request.
TikTok has often insisted on not sharing data with the Chinese government, but it’s not clear how it could resist when asked to do so.
Application data sharing has been the subject of a number of investigations. A buzzfeed A June 2022 report based on leaked recordings of internal TikTok meetings revealed how ByteDance employees in China accessed private data from US TikTok users.
A TikTok spokesperson responded that the company is open about its efforts to limit employee access to user data in the US, and buzzfeedTikTok’s report notes that TikTok “delivered what it promised.”
TikTok collects a significant amount of data from its users in order to optimize their “For You” pages using its algorithm.
Once you start using TikTok, the company starts creating a profile about you that includes everything from your hobbies to your political views.
As internet security company NordVPN explains, there are two main problems people may have.
“First of all, it is a matter of first principles. Should the company have such an understanding of your personal life? Are you comfortable with TikTok assessing and inferring (often with startling accuracy) your sexual orientation, political affiliation, or health issues? He says.
“The second problem is more practical. When large companies collect vast amounts of data about their users, it is enough to hack the data so that this information falls into the wrong hands. Hackers are out to steal valuable online business data, and there is no guarantee that the social media giants will actually be able to protect your personal information.”
Ultimately, individual users must decide how comfortable they are with sharing their data with companies like TikTok and understand the potential risks involved.
Source: I News
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