Amid a geopolitical stance on TikTok from high stakes, one of the top whistleblowers of the viral video app is of the opinion that persistent concerns about national security need to be addressed.
TikTok is at the crossroads of the US government, following threats from the Trump administration to ban the service over concerns that the service would return Chinese user data to Beijing. Recently, a few popular creators have opted to leave the platform in favor of competitor Triller, citing concerns about privacy and security.
“I’m in the camp where every company has so much data on our Facebook, Instagram, Google. I do not know how it would be otherwise, maybe you should worry that the Chinese government has it and does something wrong with it “, Zach King, a TikTok star with more than 47 million followers on the app, told Yahoo Finance’s ‘The Final Round’ in an interview.
‘But I think if there are security issues, I think we need to fix them. As a user, I would like to know what they stand for, “he added.
Tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) is the prime candidate to buy TikTok from ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, until September 15.
Although many TikTok makers are shocked by the threat – fans are asking to follow them on other social media platforms – King suggested it could be a potential asset.
“This is not the first time we’ve seen this … that’s part of the ecosystem, that’s part of the landscape of being a digital creator,” he explained.
CHINA – 2020/08/10: In this photo illustration, a TikTok logo is displayed on a smartphone. (Photo illustration by Sheldon Cooper / SOPA images / LightRocket via Getty Images)
“You need to be able to diversify your brand, spread across different platforms,” King added. “When TikTok comes down, I think you could see some of that attention going to these other platforms and back to platforms where people have already left,” he said.
King has been a digital creator for over 12 years. In addition to being the third most followed creator on TikTok, he has more than 8 million subscribers on YouTube, and 23 million followers on Instagram.
However, King tipped his hat to TikTok – which he compared to Vine, the now shortened video app with short form that was wildly popular before being discontinued several years ago.
Vine was an app where things could go viral in a matter of hours. And that’s what TikTok’s power is, ”King explained.
In an effort to position itself for TikTok’s possible underpinnings, Facebook (FB) recently launched Instagram Reels, an alternative King suggested he consider.
‘I’m looking at platforms that pique my interest. They have either tools that I really enjoy as a living community, ”he told Yahoo Finance. He spoke favorably of Byte, a short-form video platform used to make 15 second-loop videos, and was founded by Dom Hofmann, co-founder of Vine.
@saradramer“data-reactid =” 45 “>Sara Dramer is an associate producer at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @saradramer
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