Lawmakers across the United States, Europe and Canada recently doubled their efforts to restrict TikTok across their respective nations. Not long ago, TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, was in hot water with the United States Congress due to the controversy surrounding his app. Many lawmakers called out the popular short-form video media app’s link to a Chinese company, ByteDance, but also its association with many deaths and thefts.
The United States has taken action against this threat, with or without Congress’ support, as two dozen states have already banned the app. But were these moves really necessary for the app? Should an app be banned? Well, here are a few reasons why it deserves the hammer and how Congress isn’t really jumping the gun on their decision.
Misuse Of Children’s Private Information
Big companies are no strangers to fines, especially when some lines are crossed. These fines are meant to deter companies from repeating their transgressions, and to protect users of the platform from the company they are putting their trust in. However, TikTok has been misusing the personal information of children. The app has been caught red-handed in the UK and has been fined US$16 million.
Challenges That Led To Widespread Property Damage, Theft & Death
Kids are very impressionable; they will often follow trends or activities that are popular with the people around them. As they say, “Monkey see, monkey do”. However, just because they saw someone do it, they would often disregard their own safety in the name of clout. America has a reason to be scared, as several challenges have led to irresponsible damage to property and loss of life.
The most notable challenges relate to the Kia Challenge, whose namesake is the car brand, where they targeted a design flaw in the car that led to a series of motor vehicle thefts. Another is the Blackout Challenge, where the goal is to restrict someone’s breathing for a period of time; oftentimes, this results in people fainting and, in some cases, dying. Another would be the Penny Outlet Challenge, where a person plugs a phone charger halfway through an outlet, then drops a penny on to the exposed prongs, causing sparks and electrical damage.
Dangerous Algorithm
— leandream (@caleliminator) October 12, 2021
When you browse through the app, you might be wondering, “How is the app able to send me videos I like?” Well, that is done through algorithms – a set of rules and codes that filter videos you’d be interested in to the top for you to easily notice. This process, of course, takes time and you must learn what you’re interested in. However, TikTok’s algorithm for newcomers is dangerous.
Research by an advocacy group called SumOfUs identified at least 22 pro-eating-disorder groups. More often than not, because of the system’s filters and trending system, these channels and their respective videos are often filtered to the top. A spokesperson from TikTok stated that they had difficulty filtering what content is harmful, as they believe some tags that promote these can be used for educational purposes.
Lack Of Content Or Age Moderation
You might be wondering, “Isn’t there supposed to be something barring children from accessing these dangerous challenges and trends?” Unfortunately, there is none; though the minimum age of use is 13, there is nothing stopping children under 12 from bypassing this minor restriction. On the flipside, however, TikTok has taken some steps to mitigate this problem.
TikTok’s Head of Trust and Safety, Cormac Keenan, announced that those under the age of 18 will only have 60 minutes of daily screen time on the app. Direct messaging is only available to those aged 16 and older. Those younger, around the ages of 13 to 15, will have their account set to private by default, enabling them to make informed choices on what they choose to share, when, and with whom.
Spy App & Security Concerns
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers on what TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew would say before Congress on March 23.
Hashtag: #TikTok #ShouZiChew #CathyMcMorrisRodgers #Congresshearing #周受资 #datathreat #Chinesesurveillance #TikTokCEO #China #dataprivacy pic.twitter.com/8BRmMsV2H3— Spotlight on China (@spotlightoncn) March 24, 2023
Okay, let’s get down to the major reasons why the US Congress wants this app under their control, or out of their country. Legislators noted that their main concern with TikTok and ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is their association with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). As pointed out time and time again, if the CCP chooses to access the accounts and information of millions of users through TikTok, ByteDance has to comply, as the Chinese government recently passed a law that targets tech companies.
As mentioned above, TikTok was caught mishandling children’s personal data, which led to its later ban on UK government phones. Since news of data tampering broke out, government officials and bodies across the globe have kept an eye on the app ever since, and their concerns are not unfounded, as the app can potentially leak information back to the CCP.
