Exploring the Safety Concerns: TikTok and Similar China-Based Apps Pose Potential Risks, Yet a Complete Ban Might Offer an Unsatisfactory Solution
Let's Cut to the Chase on TikTok:
Looks like Congress is gunning for the beloved video-sharing app, TikTok, over alleged security threats. Folks on both sides of the aisle seem concerned about this Chinese-owned platform. They argue that the Chinese government could potentially control TikTok, putting our national security and privacy at risk, especially for the young 'uns.
But rather than slapping a ban on the app, a move that could harm U.S. tech companies globally if other countries followed suit, policymakers should concentrate on solid strategies to safeguard users and tackle data issues.
Rewind a bit, and you'll find the feds already aiming for TikTok. FBI Director Christopher Wray voiced national security concerns at a House Homeland Security hearing, while some policymakers worried about foreign interference. Back in Trump's day, an executive order aimed to effectively ban TikTok, though President Biden later replaced it with a more moderate, ongoing national security review.
TikTok has made a splash in the U.S., boasting over 86 million users. The app belongs to parent company ByteDance, based in China, and TikTok itself admitted that employees in China have previously accessed American user data under certain circumstances. Chinese law dictates that companies must hand over data to the Chinese government in case of national security concerns and public interest. Policymakers fear that this sharing of data could put U.S. national security at risk and grant the Chinese government unfettered access to our personal info on TikTok, potentially targeting kids' data specifically. However, it's unclear what the Chinese government might be doing with this data.
Now, let's dodge blanket bans based on a company's location and focus on concrete steps instead.
First off, Congress needs to pass federal data privacy legislation that demands companies to reveal all data-sharing practices and holds them accountable for their accuracy. The American Data Privacy and Protection Act would require companies to disclose whether they transfer, store, or process data in countries like China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. This law won't keep companies from sending data to China, but it ensures transparency. Plus, TikTok's U.S. staff would legally face consequences for lying about data practices.
Second, to address government requests for consumer data or attempts to manipulate or censor content, Congress should establish transparency requirements. Social media companies would be obligated to produce regular transparency reports detailing any such requests. This way, governments' demands become clear, and they can't slip through unnoticed.
Lastly, to minimize the risk of third parties accessing private messages, policymakers should encourage more social media platforms to adopt end-to-end encryption for direct user communication. End-to-end encryption keeps messages secure from third-party access and protects user data from bad actors.
However, some policymakers seem set on taking action before this congressional term wraps up. Senate recently banned TikTok from being downloaded on any government device. Many states have followed suit. But banning a single app won't boost national security across the board. Instead, policymakers should craft a list of apps banned on government devices with clear, objective criteria.
Targeting apps based on foreign ownership sets a dubious precedent for the U.S. Other nations could exploit it to justify their own bans on U.S. apps, fracturing Internet services and hindering both businesses and consumers.
Additionally, it'd be hasty for Congress to ban TikTok given the Biden administration's ongoing negotiations with the company to address data practices and national security issues. The current admin, in contrast to Trump's tough stance, is taking a more nuanced approach, aiming to keep TikTok operational in the U.S. without altering its ownership structure but is negotiating to require the company to route U.S. traffic through U.S. cloud computing company Oracle and let Oracle audit TikTok's algorithms and content moderation models.
Instead of meddling with administration talks, Congress should prioritize legislation that targets underlying concerns that aren't exclusive to TikTok. If Congress wants to take a firm stance against China, there are plenty of pressing economic and security matters on its plate. And if policymakers genuinely want to beef up privacy and security, they should take practical steps to protect Americans online, rather than impose bans that hurt American businesses and consumers.
- The alleged security threats associated with TikTok, a popular video-sharing app, have raised concerns about privacy and national security among policymakers.
- Instead of imposing blanket bans, policymakers should focus on strategies to safeguard users and tackle data issues, ensuring transparency in data-sharing practices.
- In light of these concerns, Congress is urged to pass federal data privacy legislation, such as the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, which requires companies to disclose their data-sharing practices and holds them accountable for accuracy.
- To address government requests for consumer data or attempts to manipulate or censor content, Congress should establish transparency requirements, forcing social media companies to produce regular reports detailing such requests.
- To minimize the risk of third-party access to private messages, policymakers should encourage social media platforms to adopt end-to-end encryption for direct user communication.
- Rather than banning individual apps, policymakers should draft clear, objective criteria for a list of apps banned on government devices, and avoid setting dubious precedents that could potentially be exploited by other nations.
