If TikTok is a Chinese Super spy – the US investigates but India sleeps as of now.
It is no more a myth following US National Security being on high alert re: TikTok. That said: Chinese Govt. is suspected to have full access to TikTok’s data?
U.S. investigators are reportedly trying to determine whether the popular chinese company owned app is sending American users’ data to China. DKODING Full Report in the video below:
So Either Indian Govt. charges ByteDance ( Owner of TikTok) without a days delay or TikTok should be banned permanantly in India.
TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned social network, instructs its moderators to censor videos that mention Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, or the banned religious group Falun Gong, according to leaked documents detailing the site’s moderation guidelines.
Guardian’s investigations reveal how TikTok-parent ByteDance promotes Chinese Government’s foreign policy.
Guardian’s investigations reveal how TikTok-parent ByteDance aligns with the Chinese Government’s narrative and censors politically sensitive content. Similarly, TikTok is facing a national security review in the US by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The CFIUS is concerned that the viral app poses a threat to US citizens.
TikTok was one of the most-downloaded apps globally in 2018 and is a sensation among teens and people in their early 20s.
However, there have been constant reports that TikTok’s user data can be accessed by the Chinese government through the wholly state-owned China Telecom.
Interactive Infographic: TikTok is one of the most-downloaded apps globally.
However, in India where it has over 300 million users compared to the 110 million in the US, TikTok is not under concentrated scrutiny with regards to national security. This is surprising due to the extreme skepticism that India and China share with each other. While there are concerns that TikTok could be a counterintelligence mechanism on 110 million Americans, India has thrice the number of users. The Indian government relies on treatment rather than preventive measures for national security as seen by it issuing notices and demanding security audits in the WhatsApp Spygate. However, there isn’t a similar probe into TikTok like the US national security review. A while back, TikTok was fined $5.7 million dollars in the US for illegally collecting data on children. Now, as per the new development, several US lawmakers have demanded an investigation into TikTok. They all share the concern that TikTok could be a gateway for China to spy on Americans. Several US Lawmakers share concerns that TikTok could be a gateway for China to spy on Americans. Republican Senator Marco Rubio welcomed the news saying, “Because any platform owned by a company in China which collects massive amounts of data on Americans is a potentially serious threat to our country.” US teenager’s TikTok video on Uyghur ‘concentration camps’ in China’s Xinjiang goes viral… Furthermore, the US government is undertaking a national security review of TikTok’s Musical.ly acquisition. In fact, US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter to the US intelligence community last week, saying that TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, could be forced to share user data with Chinese intelligence. Moreover, the senators claimed that TikTok might be used to influence the US Presidential Elections in 2020. They wrote: With over 110 million downloads in the US alone, TikTok is a potential counterintelligence threat we cannot ignore. TikTok rebuked accusations of the Chinese government’s interference. In a statement, TikTok said it “does not remove content based on Chinese sensitivities”. As per the statement, “Let us be very clear: TikTok does not remove content based on sensitivities related to China. We have never been asked by the Chinese government to remove any content and we would not do so if asked. We are not influenced by any foreign government, including the Chinese government. TikTok does not operate in China, nor do we have any intention of doing so in the future.” Launched in 2017, TikTok is the English-speaking version of China-exclusive app, Douyin which after emerging in 2016 expanded to 10 percent of the Chinese population by 2017 end. ByteDance bought American app Musical.ly for around $1bn in 2018. It has over 800 million users globally. However, these allegations are not all smoke, China is infamous for keeping a tight grip on information and is accused of intra and international spying in the past. TikTok Is a definite threat to India’s national security and if hundreds of News Channels and multiple world renowned cyber experts have repeatedly warned countries on TikTok suspicious conenections – It’s about time Indian Govt. swings into action and as of yesterday. Let’s see what India’s Home Minister Amit Shah had said about India’s National Security: Months ago, Indian politician from the Congress party Shashi Tharoor had accused TikTok app of illegally collecting data which is received by China. Tharoor claimed TikTok was an issue of national security risk in India. Despite calls for banning TikTok, the company is planning to invest $100 million in data center infrastructure in India. However, despite calls for banning TikTok from privacy activists, the company is planning to invest $100 million in data center infrastructure in India. The move is an attempt from TikTok to gain the trust of the Indian authorities who have demanded that foreign tech firms keep the data of Indian users within the country. The investment is part of TikTok’s grand $1 billion plan for India. It is a well-known fact that India doesn’t have the necessary cyber prowess to monitor such cyber threats from foreign states. Furthermore, Indian citizens stand vulnerable to data leakage and surveillance without a comprehensive data protection framework in the country. And if the US sees the app as a national threat with 110 million users, surely it needs to be seen similarly in India where it has thrice the number. While the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) is demanding an audit of WhatsApp security and systems, it must take action on TikTok and its future in India NOW.
The Investigations in the US
Another Case in Point:
Can TikTok be trusted?
Should the Indian Government also launch a national security review?
