TikTok's Rise to Popularity: Why the US Government is Taking Notice
1. National security concerns: The US government is worried that TikTok, being owned by a Chinese company, could be subject to Chinese government influence and may be used as a tool for Chinese intelligence to gather data on US citizens. TikTok has denied these claims, stating that all user data is stored outside of China and is not subject to Chinese law.
However, the US government argues that the Chinese
government could potentially access the data through Chinese laws that require
companies to cooperate with government requests for information. In addition,
the government is concerned that TikTok's algorithms could be used to manipulate
public opinion or conduct influence operations.
2. Data privacy concerns: TikTok has faced criticism over its data privacy practices, particularly in terms of how it collects and stores user data. In 2019, the app was fined $5.7 million by the US Federal Trade Commission for collecting data on children under the age of 13 without their parents' consent.
TikTok has stated that it stores all US user data in the US
and Singapore and that it has strict data privacy policies in place. However,
concerns remain over whether the app is collecting more data than necessary and
whether it is sharing this data with third parties.
3. Misinformation concerns: TikTok has been criticized for
spreading misinformation and propaganda, particularly during the 2020 US
presidential election. The app was accused of allowing political ads that
contained false information and of promoting content that was biased in favor
of certain political candidates.
TikTok has since taken steps to address this issue,
including banning political ads altogether and introducing fact-checking
measures for certain types of content.
4. Content moderation concerns: There have been concerns over
TikTok's ability to moderate and remove inappropriate content, particularly
content that is harmful or inappropriate for children. The app has been
criticized for allowing content that promotes dangerous challenges or glorifies
self-harm.
TikTok has stated that it has strict guidelines in place to
remove inappropriate content and that it has increased its content moderation
efforts in recent years. However, concerns remain over whether the app is doing
enough to protect its users, particularly children.
Overall, the US government's concerns over TikTok are
multifaceted and reflect a wider debate over the role of social media platforms
in society. While TikTok has taken steps to address some of these concerns, it
remains to be seen whether the app will be able to regain the trust of US
policymakers and users alike. 💖
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