In recent news, US government agencies have raised concerns over ByteDance’s TikTok application allegedly collecting sensitive user data. According to TechSpot, the US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit accusing TikTok of gathering information on controversial issues such as abortion, religion, and privacy, as well as views on topics like gun control. It’s alleged that this data was obtained through the internal communication tool Lark and stored on servers in China, potentially accessible to Chinese employees. The concern is that this data could be exploited by the Chinese government to influence public opinion and undermine American democracy.
This isn’t the first time TikTok has faced accusations of data collection. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported on TikTok tracking users watching gay content. These allegations have led to a legal battle between the US government and TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. The government has demanded ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face a ban in the US.
TikTok has refuted these claims, asserting that the allegations lack evidence and that the collected user data does not pose a national security risk. The company has proposed measures, including transferring US user data to Oracle servers in the US, in an attempt to address concerns. However, it appears that these efforts have not been sufficient to appease the US government. With the legal battle ongoing, the future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain.