TikTok is a rapidly growing social media platform that allows users to create and share short videos. Since launching in 2016, TikTok has quickly amassed a large userbase, especially among younger demographics. As of January 2023, TikTok had over 1.5 billion monthly active users globally, making it one of the most popular social apps (Source). In 2021 alone, TikTok was downloaded more than 656 million times worldwide (Source). TikTok’s growth has been particularly pronounced in the United States, where its monthly active user count quadrupled between 2018 and 2021 to over 100 million users (Source).
Data Privacy Concerns
One of the main concerns over TikTok in the US is related to user data privacy. TikTok collects large amounts of personal data from its users, including browsing history, location data, and device information. According to Norton, TikTok collects much more user data than comparable apps like Facebook or Instagram (https://us.norton.com/blog/privacy/is-tiktok-safe). This data could potentially be accessed and used by the Chinese government, raising fears that it could be leveraged for surveillance, espionage, or censorship. There are worries that the Chinese government may be able to access US user data through legal and regulatory means, even though TikTok stores American user data in Singapore and the US. Overall, the massive data collection by TikTok combined with its Chinese ownership has raised bipartisan alarm in the US over the national security risks and privacy violations.
Ties to China
One of the main concerns around TikTok is that the app is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company founded in 2012. Though TikTok operates separately from ByteDance’s Chinese apps like Douyin, it is still owned and controlled by a Chinese corporation. Some key facts on TikTok’s Chinese ownership include:
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TikTok was created through ByteDance’s acquisition of the popular lip-syncing app Musical.ly in 2017 for $1 billion. Musical.ly was then merged into TikTok.
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As of 2023, ByteDance remains the sole owner of TikTok. ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing.
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There are concerns that under China’s national intelligence laws, ByteDance could be forced to hand over TikTok’s data to the Chinese government if requested, though TikTok states they have not done so.
TikTok’s ties to a Chinese corporation have been a major point of scrutiny by U.S. regulators and lawmakers concerned about potential national security risks and censorship. Some believe TikTok should fully separate from ByteDance ownership and control.
Censorship
TikTok has been accused of censoring content on its platform that doesn’t align with the Chinese Government’s values. In 2019, teenager Feroza Aziz claimed her account was temporarily suspended after she posted a video criticizing China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims. According to Aziz, she disguised the video as a makeup tutorial in order to avoid censorship from TikTok [1]. TikTok apologized and claimed the suspension was due to an unrelated previous video she had posted. However, the incident highlighted ongoing concerns that TikTok may censor content deemed politically sensitive by the Chinese Government [2].
National Security Risk
US government officials have repeatedly warned that TikTok poses a national security risk. They argue that the app’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China and required by Chinese law to share user data with the government upon request. There are concerns that TikTok could be used by China to spy on US citizens, track government employees, build dossiers on users, conduct influence operations, and censor content the Chinese government disapproves of.
In 2020, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) issued a finding that TikTok threatens national security. CFIUS argued the Chinese government’s access to American user data poses an unacceptable risk. Since then, some US lawmakers have been urging stronger action to address the issue. Recently, members of Congress sent a letter to President Biden pushing him to use emergency powers to ban TikTok over ongoing national security concerns.
US officials worry that China could leverage personal data on government personnel and content recommender algorithms to identify vulnerabilities and shape narratives. There is bipartisan agreement that steps need to be taken to safeguard against potential espionage, blackmail, and disinformation campaigns facilitated through TikTok.
Spread of Misinformation
TikTok’s powerful algorithm is very effective at promoting content, but this can have unintended consequences when it comes to the spread of misinformation. The platform’s emphasis on short, viral videos makes it easy for misleading claims or conspiracy theories to quickly gain traction before fact checkers can evaluate them.
According to a report by Logically, an AI company focused on identifying misinformation, false claims about the cause of wildfires in Hawaii spread rapidly on TikTok in August 2022 (source). TikTok’s algorithm picked up on these viral videos and promoted them widely before they could be debunked.
Research has found TikTok to be particularly susceptible to spreading health misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic. As noted in a 2021 paper, “on the booming platform TikTok, misinformation spread like a wildfire just like viral videos” (source).
This illustrates how TikTok’s powerful recommendation system can inadvertently spread misinformation rapidly by pushing viral content without regard for accuracy.
Impact on Youth
There is increasing concern over the impact of excessive TikTok use on the mental health and wellbeing of young people. A recent study found that teens spend an average of 80 minutes per day on TikTok, with heavy users spending over 2 hours daily (1). This significant amount of screen time has raised worries about potential negative effects like poor sleep quality, lack of exercise, and reduced in-person social interaction.
Researchers have also criticized TikTok’s algorithm for pushing inappropriate or harmful content to young users. Within 5 to 15 swipes on a new account, the app’s “For You” feed can serve videos promoting eating disorders, depression, and suicidal thoughts to teenagers (2). TikTok’s algorithm tends to reinforce such content by recommending similar videos once a user engages with that type of material. This can spiral into unhealthy obsessions and body image issues, particularly among adolescent girls.
While TikTok has introduced safeguards like screen time limits and restricting direct messaging for younger users, experts argue there needs to be more research on the app’s long-term impact on children’s wellbeing and development (1). There are calls for TikTok to be more transparent about its algorithms and do more to prioritize user safety over revenue growth.
Attempts to Ban TikTok
The US government has made various attempts to restrict or ban TikTok in recent years over data privacy and national security concerns. In 2020, then-President Trump signed an executive order that would have banned TikTok unless it was sold to an American company. However, court challenges blocked the ban from taking effect.
In 2021, President Biden revoked Trump’s executive order but ordered a full review of the risks posed by foreign apps like TikTok. Since then, Congress banned TikTok from government devices in the omnibus spending bill passed in December 2022 (Source 1). In early 2023, more proposals emerged in Congress to outright prohibit use of TikTok in the US.
While a full ban has not gone into effect, the US government continues to view TikTok as a potential national security threat and explore ways to restrict or regulate it. However, critics argue that bans could set a concerning precedent for internet freedom and access (Source 2).
TikTok’s Responses
TikTok has sought to address some of the criticism and concerns in the following ways:
TikTok published a Transparency Report highlighting how it responds to government requests for user data and content removal. The report states that TikTok did not share any data with the Chinese government, despite accusations.
TikTok also announced plans to store all U.S. user data with Oracle, to ensure that China-based employees would not have access. This was part of an agreement proposed to the U.S. government.
In response to censorship concerns, TikTok claimed that it does not remove content based on sensitivities to China. The platform stated that it aims to support free expression and only removes content that violates community guidelines.
TikTok has looked to hire American executives, including a U.S.-based CEO, in order to distance itself from its Chinese ownership. It also claims that U.S. user data is stored on servers in the U.S. and Singapore, not China.
To protect younger users, TikTok introduced screen time management controls and restrictions on messaging/live-streaming for accounts under 16. It also aimed to limit distribution of harmful challenges and misinformation.
While taking steps to address concerns, TikTok maintains that it operates independently from China and should not be considered a national security threat to the U.S.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several key concerns surrounding TikTok that have sparked calls to ban the app in the US:
– Data privacy – TikTok collects large amounts of user data that could potentially be accessed and used by ByteDance and the Chinese government. There are worries about how this data could be used for surveillance, profiling, and censorship.
– National security – Due to TikTok’s Chinese ownership, there are fears data could be used for foreign influence campaigns, espionage, or blackmail. Critics argue TikTok poses an unacceptable security risk.
– Spread of misinformation – TikTok’s powerful algorithm for serving content could promote misinformation and other inappropriate or dangerous material to young users.
– Impact on youth – Extended TikTok use may have negative effects on attention spans, mental health, and body image, especially among younger users. There are concerns about predatory messaging as well.
– Censorship and propaganda – TikTok has banned politically sensitive topics and appears to censor content in line with Chinese government directives. There are worries it could become a channel for state propaganda.
While TikTok claims it stores U.S. data securely in the U.S. and Singapore and does not remove content that would be acceptable in the U.S., concerns persist. The outlook remains uncertain as TikTok negotiates with the U.S. government and argues its case in the courts. There are still many unanswered questions about data practices, algorithms, and Chinese influence that TikTok will need to address.
