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New Delhi. Efforts to ban TikTok have intensified in America. The US Federal Court has reinstated the law under which Chinese company ByteDance’s popular short video app TikTok can be banned. The court has given the option to sell TikTok’s American operations or be banned by December 19. The purpose of this law has been said to give priority to national security.
However, former US President Donald Trump has clearly said that he will not allow TikTok to be banned. This app is extremely popular in the US with over 170 million users.
Why is TikTok banned in America?
FBI Director Chris Ray has described TikTok as a serious threat to national security and said that Chinese companies are obliged to follow the orders of the Chinese government. He alleged that through the app, the Chinese government can access the data of American users and it is being seen as a risk to national security. At the same time, some Congress members have accused ByteDance of the influence of the Chinese government, saying that the company is forced to share the sensitive data of its users with the Chinese government.
However, TikTok has rejected these allegations, saying that the Chinese government’s involvement is limited to only 1% of ByteDance’s subsidiary Douyin Information Service and has no impact on global operations.
Controversy over data and algorithms
The FBI has claimed that TikTok can be used to access data and change algorithms. National Security Agency Director Paul Nakasone has expressed concern that TikTok’s algorithm could help influence users or change their behavior. In response, TikTok has said that it does not allow any government to control its algorithms or data operations. The court also ruled in support of the law, saying that proper procedure has been followed to investigate and resolve risks related to national security.
Concern about China’s national intelligence law
Lawmakers say ByteDance could be expected to hand over TikTok users’ data to the Chinese government under China’s 2017 national intelligence law. However, TikTok has clarified that its operations are under US laws and it has never given the data of American users to the Chinese government. The CEO of the company has assured that they give priority to data security.
App is affecting the mental condition of youth
In March 2022, eight US states began investigating how TikTok use was affecting the mental and physical health of youth. The investigation sought to understand how the platform’s design and algorithms keep users, especially young children, engaged for long periods of time. Responding to this criticism, TikTok has said that it has taken several steps to make the platform safe for users under 18 years of age.
What will happen next?
The controversy regarding TikTok is continuously deepening in the American political and legal circles. While there are concerns about security and data privacy, TikTok’s popularity makes plans to ban it challenging. It will be interesting to see in the coming months how TikTok maintains its operations and what direction the resolution of this dispute takes.
Tag: technical news, TikTok Videos
first published : December 8, 2024, 2:12 pm IST
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