Should Tik Tok be banned in the US?! Part 1/2
Arguments for and against the proposed Tik Tok ban in the US
Introduction
The US government has recently started a congressional hearing on TikTok to investigate potential Chinese influence over the platform and its damaging effect on children's mental health. This has sparked a wide-ranging discussion among different sides on whether Tik Tok should be banned. In this article, we will explore the key viewpoints and arguments presented by both sides. In the first part, we will look at the political side of the debate. In the second part, we will examine the negative and positive impact of the app on its users.
Methodology
To cover the topic from different angles, we explored publications of different sides - US and China officials, industry experts and Tik Tok representatives, data privacy and cybersecurity experts, specialized and mainstream mass media.
Key points of view (part 1)
Tik Tok should be banned because it collects sensitive users' data and might share it with the Chinese government
Tik Tok should not be banned because it is a private company and there is no proof it collaborates with the Chinese government
Tik Tok should not be banned regardless of whether it is connected with the Chinese government, as the ban goes against freedom of speech and does not solve the core problem
Tik Tok should be banned because it collects sensitive users' data and might share it with the Chinese government
The most common argument for banning Tik Tok is related to the sensitive data the application collects and potential connection of its parent company ByteDance with the Chinese government.
France, the Netherlands, and Norway have all recently joined the ranks of countries that have banned the use of TikTok on government-issued devices. These countries cite a "heightened risk of espionage" associated with apps from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Experts have warned that TikTok collects a wide range of user data, including IP address, device information, location, search history, name, email address, and phone number. This combination of data can reveal a lot about users and potentially put sensitive information at risk.
Some experts highlight that the most concerning aspect of TikTok is its ownership by Chinese company ByteDance, which has been accused of collecting user data and sharing it with the Chinese government. BuzzFeed published audio recordings in which ByteDance employees in China boasted about having access to non-public data of some US citizens, while Forbes reported that TikTok had spied on several of its journalists who were covering ByteDance. If the information collected by Tik Tok about government officials and workers is shared with the Chinese government, it can pose a risk of revealing some sensitive information.
As the debate continues to rage on, some experts are calling for a ban of TikTok for personal use as well. They argue that in China, various US-based social media platforms have already been banned as China aims to gain full control over information flows. Hence, the US should respond in kind to reduce the risks of Chinese intervention in internal political discourse, which, according to some experts, has occurred in the past.
Tik Tok should not be banned because it is a private company and there is no proof it collaborates with the Chinese government
The alternative point of view opposes the ban of Tik Tok. The main argument against the ban is no proven record that Tik Tok and its parent company ByteDance share data with the Chinese government.
TikTok has made public statements and blog posts to assure users that it stores all data about its US users in the US and Singapore, and that it does not share data with any governments. The company has also emphasized its efforts to minimize data exposure for employees within the company. “Our goal is to minimize data access across regions so that, for example, employees in the APAC region, including China, would have very minimal access to user data from the EU and US,” TikTok’s Chief Information Security Officer Roland Cloutier wrote. Tik Tok further expressed their readiness to collaborate with the US government to ensure the security of the US users’ data.
Some experts suggest that if TikTok is banned, then these other platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp should also be banned for government use as they collect a comparable amount of data. Madeline Carr, a cybersecurity and politics professor at University College London (UCL), has commented that there is no compelling evidence to support a ban on TikTok considering how much data other US based platforms collect, a view shared by many cybersecurity and technology experts. The proposed TikTok ban has been criticized as a means of covertly undermining China by some commentators. US politicians are eager to show their opposition to China, which they have positioned as their primary geopolitical rival, as TikTok faces scrutiny over privacy concerns and espionage fears in Europe. Anupam Chander, a global technology regulation expert at Georgetown University, has noted this trend.
The Chinese officials also oppose the potential Tik Tok ban. Spokeswoman Mao Ning told "We firmly oppose those wrong actions. The US government should respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, stop suppressing the companies and provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies in the US." "How unsure of itself can the world's top superpower like the US be to fear young people's favorite app like that?" she added. Western officials have become increasingly concerned about the popular video sharing app - which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance - in recent months.
Tik Tok should not be banned regardless of whether it is connected with the Chinese government, as the ban goes against freedom of speech and does not solve the core problem
The ongoing debate on whether TikTok is connected to the Chinese government or not has prompted a group of experts to focus on the wider impact of a potential ban. Instead of getting bogged down in the politics of the matter, they are proposing to address the issue of sensitive data collection and privacy laws.
One organization advocating for this approach is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In a tweet, they argued that "A ban on TikTok would violate the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans." The ACLU contends that such a ban would be unconstitutional and a violation of free speech.
Other experts echo this sentiment and suggest focusing on the core issues rather than targeting TikTok as a scapegoat. Evan Greer, Director of Fight for the Future, calls for greater privacy legislation in the US rather than a targeted ban for Tik Tok. He emphasizes that the issue should be addressed at the privacy level, not by banning specific companies. Greer proposes that the US needs a data privacy law to safeguard citizens' privacy.
While a blanket ban may seem like the easiest solution, less extreme measures can address legitimate concerns. The government could conduct investigations into TikTok's data collection practices and make them public. This way, the users who are uncomfortable with the level of data being gathered can choose to stop using the app.
To be continued
In the second article we will explore the additional arguments for and against Tik Tok ban that will focus on the positive and negative ways how Tik Tok impacts users. Subscribe to our newsletter to get it into your inbox.