The US Congress has passed a bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok if its parent company, ByteDance, does not sell the app within a year. The bill follows concerns raised by US lawmakers about the potential risks to personal data due to ByteDance’s ownership. TikTok has denied these allegations, but concerns remain, highlighting the complex issues surrounding data privacy in the digital age.
TikTok has become a cultural phenomenon with more than one billion users worldwide. However, US lawmakers have warned that its Chinese ownership poses vulnerabilities for people’s data, a claim that the company has vehemently denied. Millions of Americans who rely on the app and even make money vigorously oppose the potential US ban. Young people increasingly rely on TikTok for their news, and reports have suggested that the app may have galvanised liberal activism and even been linked to pro-Palestine support among followers.
The popular video-sharing app is technically owned by a Beijing-based company called ByteDance. This Chinese internet technology company, founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming, has created several platforms estimated to host 1.9 billion active monthly users. ByteDance developed various video apps before launching TikTok to international markets in 2017. Despite ByteDance’s founders holding a controlling stake, they only own 20 per cent of TikTok, with 60 per cent owned by institutional investors (including organisations in the US), and the remaining 20 per cent owned by employees. The company’s headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, with three out of five TikTok board members from the United States. While ByteDance is the parent company, TikTok is led by Singaporean CEO Shou Zi Chew.
Previously, Conservative MP Alicia Kearns has warned Brits against using the app, deeming it unsafe. She said the platform exposed users’ data to “hostile” threats, especially the Chinese government. TikTok has denied it would ever hand users’ personal information to others. However, it is known that TikTok’s parent company has used TikTok data to track several Western journalists and find their sources.
TikTok has faced bans or restrictions in several countries for various reasons, including concerns about data privacy, national security, and content moderation. Some of the countries where TikTok has been banned or faced significant restrictions include:
– India
– Indonesia
– Pakistan
– Bangladesh
– Turkey
TikTok collects a variety of personal data from its users, which may include:
– Name
– Email address
– Phone number
– Profile picture
– Bio
– Location
– IP address
– Device type
– App usage data
It’s important to note that the specific data collected by TikTok may vary depending on factors such as user settings, permissions granted, and applicable laws and regulations. TikTok’s privacy policy outlines the types of data collected, how it is used, and the options available to users to manage their privacy settings and control their data. Users should review the privacy policy and make informed decisions about using the platform and the data they share.
