US legislators continue to advocate for TikTok's sale or ban
What's the story
US legislators recently pushed for the sale or ban of the widely-used social media app, TikTok, citing national security risks.
A bill enforcing this action is currently under Senate review, following confidential briefings from intelligence officials regarding the potential threat posed by the app.
In the latest development, senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn have urged the Director of National Intelligence to make public the information discussed in these briefings.
Apprehensions
Senators voice serious concerns about TikTok
Democrat Senator Blumenthal and Republican Senator Blackburn have jointly voiced their unease about the possible threat TikTok could pose.
In a collective statement, they expressed, "We are deeply troubled by the information and concerns raised by the intelligence community in recent classified briefings to Congress."
They stressed that it is vital for American citizens, especially TikTok users, to understand the national security issues involved.
Recent actions
House approved bill to safeguard Americans from foreign apps
The House of Representatives recently endorsed a similar bill, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, with substantial bipartisan backing.
The bill was passed by a 352 - 65 vote within a week of its introduction.
This legislation has gained considerable traction compared to previous attempts to regulate the tech industry or ban TikTok.
Worry
Legislators worry over potential data access by Chinese government
Despite no fresh evidence indicating any misconduct by TikTok or its parent company ByteDance, legislators' primary worry is data access.
They are apprehensive that ByteDance's Chinese origins could enable Chinese government officials to influence TikTok's algorithms or gain access to its users' data.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, one of the bill's co-sponsors, stated, "Our bipartisan legislation would protect American social media users from the digital surveillance and influence operations of regimes that could weaponize their personal data against them."
Facts
TikTok refutes claims of sharing user data
TikTok has persistently refuted claims of sharing any user data with the Chinese government and asserts it would not comply if requested to do so.
Despite these assurances, ByteDance has previously faced backlash for mishandling user data several times.
If the US intelligence officials are able to gather concrete evidence beyond speculation, it could lead to a major blow to TikTok's business.
Findings
Critics challenge the idea of banning or selling TikTok
Critics contend that banning or selling TikTok won't necessarily enhance Americans' data security.
They highlight the largely unregulated data broker industry as a more significant threat.
These brokers have access to vast amounts of personal data from various sources, and there are currently minimal restrictions on what can be collected or who can purchase it.
Findings
Digital rights advocates caution against TikTok ban
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and other digital rights advocates caution that enforcing a ban or sale of TikTok could establish a global precedent for excessive government control over social media platforms.
David Greene, a senior staff attorney at the EFF, said, "Shutting down a whole service is essentially an anti-democratic thing."
Despite these concerns, legislators continue to advocate for action against TikTok.