TikTok is currently not being seen in a favorable light in the US. It was discovered that TikTok was spying on American journalists through its parent company called ByteDance. This parent company ended up gaining access to a great deal of sensitive information.
TikTok & Spying
The Financial Times reported that members of the China-based ByteDance staff had gotten ahold of the personal information and IP addresses of American journalists who were covering the company. Another report also said that a BuzzFeed journalist and many other users who had connections to the journalists were also targeted by ByteDance through their TikTok accounts.
TikTok has stated multiple times that any information from American users was not being shared with the China-based staff. However, the above information is a clear violation of user privacy and the opposite of many statements the app has made in regard to security and privacy. The app is currently undergoing investigations from the CFIUS (Committee for Foreign Investment), has been in negotiation for a while over the US data deal and is facing pressure from lawmakers in Washington about this ordeal.
The app’s chief executive has promised to enhance security and access protocols. The current evidence further solidified many public official stances on banning the app. It seems that a decision on whether to ban or not will be reached sooner than later.
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