Is TikTok an invasion of your privacy? AG's push to make TikTok comply with consumer protection

4 Jun 2023 · 2 min

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The segment reports that the White House is urging Congress to pass legislation granting the Commerce Department authority to ban any app deemed a national security threat, with TikTok highlighted due to its Chinese ownership by ByteDance. Senators have introduced a bipartisan bill expanding powers over foreign-linked electronics and software. State attorneys general in 46 states, including Massachusetts, are suing TikTok for allegedly exposing young users to harmful content and for potential Chinese government influence on U.S. public sentiment and elections. Security experts warn of backdoors and manipulation, while TikTok has not commented on the allegations. The report is presented live from Boston by Mary Saladin of WCBB.

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The White House is pushing Congress to quickly pass this new bill which would give the government the power to ban any app that they think jeopardizes national security. TikTok is used by some 100 million Americans, including politicians, every day. But the video-sharing app is under fire because of its ties to China.
It is widely acknowledged that TikTok's a threat to our national security, which is why Congress took steps last year to ban the platform on government devices.
Today, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators proposed a bill that gives the Commerce Department new powers to protect against any electronics or software that is linked to foreign entities. TikTok is owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance, but many security experts believe the Chinese government is seizing on the app's popularity.
When you have Chinese government officials that are installing backdoors into hardware and software, essentially to spy and in many cases manipulate U.S. citizens, that definitely is a problem.
And while TikTok may seem an innocent source of entertainment, attorneys general in 46 states, including Massachusetts, are now suing the Chinese company to comply with an ongoing investigation, claiming TikTok is routinely exposing young Americans to harmful content. It's part of a predominant concern that the Chinese government is using the popular app to influence US public sentiment, even elections.
Between Russia and China, it's inevitable that it's currently happening here in the US, and TikTok is one of those software programs that can facilitate that process.
Now, no comment from TikTok tonight, but the company has, uh, repeatedly, um, asserted that it has not turned over any user data to the Chinese government. We're live in Boston tonight. I'm Mary Saladin at WCBB.