A member of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee is calling on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores over concerns about national security.
In a letter sent to the two tech giants on Thursday, Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet calls TikTok “an unacceptable threat to the national security of the United States” and cites the same concerns that have prompted the federal government and more than half of US states to restrict TikTok from official devices and networks.
Writing to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Bennet highlighted fears that China could use its national security laws to force TikTok or its parent, ByteDance, to hand over the personal information of the app’s US users. The laws in question, Bennet wrote, require organizations in the country to “cooperate with state intelligence work” and to allow the government to access company resources. ByteDance’s founder is Chinese and the company has offices in China. TikTok has also disclosed to European users that their data may be accessed by employees based in China.
China could potentially try to shape what US users see on the app, Bennet warned, with possible implications for foreign policy and democracy.
“We should accept the very real possibility that [China] could compel TikTok, via ByteDance, to use its influence to advance Chinese government interests,” Bennet wrote, “for example, by tweaking its algorithm to present Americans content to undermine U.S. democratic institutions or muffle criticisms” of China’s handling of Hong Kong, Taiwan or ethnic minorities.
MacDailyNews Take: Tick-tock, TikTok.
See also:
• FCC Commissioner wants Apple and Google to remove TikTok from app stores – June 29, 2022
• 15 U.S. state attorneys general demand that Apple, Google raise TikTok to ’17+’ age rating – December 14, 2022
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I guess banning the app from government devices didn’t work out? If military personnel and high-ranking government officials would stop posting classified crap to TT and Twitter and everything else we might not have a problem. I suspect the US government already knows the underwear size of all the people posting videos of their cats dancing to Elvis tunes. Is that what they are afraid the Chinese will figure out?
Cry me a river. The government’s stance on TikTok and sideloading apps highlights its hypocrisy. The government also advocates for the ability to sideload apps outside of the App Store, claiming this to be a matter of consumer choice and freedom. How can they have it both ways?
Hmm….an “Unacceptable threat” Bennet? It should be banned? Interesting. I distinctly remember three years ago someone at the highest office in the land saying exactly what you and the rest of your ilk are saying but whereas not a peep has been said towards you, the individual who said exactly what you’re saying was called a racist, nativist, xenophobic among other insults.
So what’s the difference? The fourth letter of the alphabet behind your name I’m guessing.
Btw, ask your buddy why he’s letting spy balloons freely fly over the country while you’re at it.