The well-known short-video app TikTok is once again the subject of international scrutiny. Worries have been raised regarding its Chinese ownership and the potential that Beijing could misuse it for collecting data on users from Western countries or to spread propaganda that is favorable to China. According to a recent online the journal, TikTok will no longer be accessible on city-owned devices used by BYC employees in New York City.
According to a new ban reported by The Verge, which is effective immediately, agencies have to delete the app from city-owned hardware within 30 days. Following a security review, the ban was suggested by NYC Cyber Command, which focuses on cyber risks for the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation.
In 2020, the state of New York similarly enacted a ban on TikTok use on government devices. In subsequent years, many other states, including New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Georgia, have passed their own bans.
In December, the U.S. House of Representatives banned using TikTok on equipment used by the government. The Biden administration escalated its own pressure campaign against the app earlier this year in an effort to force TikTok to give up its Chinese ownership.
TikTok Faces Comprehensive Ban in Montana Starting 2024
Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, was grilled by senators for five hours during a congressional hearing in March amid worries that China might leverage the app to compromise national security. TikTok stands out from other major social media companies based in China since it is owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance.
“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew said in his opening statements.
A law and ban TikTok in Montana was signed by Governor Greg Gianforte in May, and it will go into force in 2024. Contrary to earlier state-level actions, the ban would also affect the popular app’s access to non-government-issued devices.
In response, TikTok filed a lawsuit to defend the app’s continued accessibility to Montanans. This month, the tech industry’s NetChoice and Chamber of Progress backed TikTok’s lawsuit to overturn the ban, arguing that “Montana’s effort to cut Montanans off from the global network of TikTok users ignores and undermines the structure, design, and purpose of the internet.”
Although the company initially kept its involvement a secret, TikTok is also supporting a different case brought by creators who oppose with the Montana ban.
The bans in the US and elsewhere mention general security worries about ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok. While there isn’t any evidence to date, Beijing might still threaten to use the wildly popular social platform for eavesdropping.
China has a significant impact on private companies operating there. It has been shown that the government will invest in private businesses and reshape their boards in an effort to sway policy. Furthermore, China has vehemently opposed any prospective forced sales of the company, which it would be within its rights to block given that its export rules would change in late 2020.
