[ad_1]
The US will ban the use of the Chinese app WeChat on Sunday, citing national security concerns.
Downloads from the TikTok app, owned by the same company, will be banned at the same time, and use of that platform will be banned in the US before November 12.
However, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said today on Fox Business News that access to TikTok may be possible if certain safeguards are in place.
“Under the leadership of the President, we have taken significant steps to combat China’s malicious collection of personal data of US citizens, while promoting our national values, rule-based democratic norms, and aggressive enforcement of US laws and regulations.” Ross said in a prepared statement.
The US government said its order, previously announced by President Donald Trump in August, “will combat the malicious collection of personal data of US citizens by China.”
Under the leadership of the President, we have taken significant steps to combat China’s malicious collection of personal data of US citizens, while promoting our national values, rule-based democratic norms, and aggressive enforcement of US laws and regulations.
– Sec. Wilbur Ross (@SecretarioRoss) September 18, 2020
Some security experts have raised concerns that ByteDance Ltd, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, would maintain access to information about the 100 million TikTok users in the United States, creating a security risk.
Like most social networks, TikTok collects user data and moderates user posts. Capture user locations and messages and track what they see to discover the best way to target your ads.
Similar concerns apply to US-based social networks like Facebook and Twitter, but Chinese ownership adds an additional problem because the Chinese government could order companies to help it gather intelligence.
TikTok says that it does not store US user data in China and that it would not give user data to the government. But experts say the Chinese government can get whatever information it wants from Chinese companies.
No news is bad news
Support the magazine
your contributions help us keep delivering the stories that are important to you
Support us now
The move is the Trump administration’s latest attempt to weaken the influence of China, a rising economic superpower.
Since taking office in 2017, Trump has waged a trade war with China, blocked mergers involving Chinese companies and stifled the business of Chinese companies such as Huawei, a maker of telecommunications and telecommunications equipment.
Republican and Democratic concerns about TikTok include its vulnerability to censorship and misinformation campaigns, and the safety of user data and children’s privacy.
But the administration has not provided specific evidence that TikTok has made US user data available to the Chinese government.
Officials point to the hypothetical threat that lies in the Chinese government’s ability to demand cooperation from Chinese companies.
[ad_2]