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The U.S. Justice Department intensified its push to ban TikTok, alleging the popular video-sharing app poses a grave national security threat due to its handling of sensitive user data.
Recent documents filed by the Department of Justice on July 26 shed light on the accusations against TikTok. The platform is said to be collecting sensitive and personal user data from U.S. employees and transmitting it to ByteDance engineers in China.
Potential risks and concerns of TikTok sensitive user data
TikTok employees shared this data with colleagues in China using the company’s internal communication system, Lark, according to the DOJ. The breach contradicts TikTok’s claims of data security. The TikTok sensitive user data includes personal views on social issues like gun control, abortion, and religion, gathered through users’ posts and interactions on the platform. The information allegedly stored on Chinese servers raised red flags for potential security breaches.
The filing from the Department of Justice also raised the alarm about the possibility of TikTok engaging in covert content manipulation of its users. “China could, for example, further its existing malign influence operations,” the filing said. These are serious implications that the U.S. government is taking very seriously in their efforts to address the issue.
TikTok’s response
In response to these allegations, TikTok has maintained that it operates independently of the Chinese government and does not share American user data with foreign entities. The company continues to assert its adherence to data privacy standards and refutes the claims made by the U.S. government.
“Nothing in this brief changes the fact that the Constitution is on our side. As we’ve said before, the government has never put forth proof of its claims, including when Congress passed this unconstitutional law. Today, once again, the government is taking this unprecedented step while hiding behind secret information. We remain confident we will prevail in court,” TikTok’s statement on X reads.
The latest salvo marks a new chapter in the ongoing saga between the U.S. government and TikTok. Earlier this year, President Biden signed a bill mandating ByteDance sell its TikTok stake to a U.S.-approved buyer. The outcome will significantly impact the app’s future in the U.S. and set a precedent for future tech regulation.