China has criticized a proposed bill in the US Congress that could potentially lead to the banning of TikTok in the United States, labeling it as unfair. This action marks the latest development in a longstanding dispute over safety concerns regarding the popular app, which is owned by a Chinese company. Authorities, politicians, and security personnel in numerous Western nations have already been prohibited from installing TikTok on official devices.
Addressing three major cyber concerns surrounding TikTok, the first revolves around its data collection practices. Critics frequently accuse TikTok of gathering excessive amounts of user data, a claim supported by a cyber-security report published by Internet 2.0, an Australian firm, in July 2022. This report, based on an analysis of TikTok's source code, highlighted what it described as "excessive data harvesting," including details such as location, device specifications, and installed apps. However, contrasting studies suggest that TikTok's data collection practices are not significantly different from other social media platforms, with similar types of data being collected for user behavior tracking.
The second concern focuses on the potential for TikTok to be exploited by the Chinese government for espionage purposes. TikTok asserts its independence and denies providing user data to the Chinese government, emphasizing that such actions would not be entertained if requested. However, critics remain wary due to the app's ownership by ByteDance, a Beijing-based tech company. Allegations raised by former US President Donald Trump in a 2020 executive order suggested that TikTok's data collection could enable China to engage in espionage activities, although concrete evidence supporting these claims remains elusive.
The third concern revolves around the possibility of TikTok being utilized as a tool for "brainwashing" users. TikTok defends its community guidelines, stating that they prohibit misinformation and harmful content. However, concerns have been raised regarding the platform's recommendation algorithm and its potential susceptibility to influence operations. Comparisons with Douyin, TikTok's sister app available only in China, highlight disparities in content censorship. While Douyin reportedly promotes wholesome and educational content, TikTok's approach appears less stringent in terms of political censorship.
Overall, these concerns primarily exist as theoretical risks rather than concrete evidence of wrongdoing. Critics argue that TikTok could potentially serve as a covert instrument during times of conflict, akin to a "Trojan horse." However, decisions to ban TikTok, as seen in India in 2020, or restrict Chinese tech companies like Huawei from participating in 5G infrastructure development, are often based on these theoretical risks rather than tangible evidence. Conversely, China does not face similar concerns regarding US-based apps, as access to such platforms has been blocked for Chinese citizens for several years.