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Federal Bureau of Investigation Director, Christopher Wray, recently raised concerns about national security on the Chinese-owned and operated app, TikTok.
In a statement released on Tuesday, November 15, Wray stated that the Chinese government could use the app to their benefit by harnessing it to influence users and control their devices.
The app is owned by the East-Asian parent company, ByteDance, which was founded by entrepreneur Zhang Yiming in 2012. The company is currently headquartered in Beijing, China and reported a revenue of $58 billion in May 2021.
FBI raises a range of concerns about TikTok
On Tuesday, Christopher Wray warned US lawmakers on Capitol Hill about allowing TikTok to continue operating in the country. He claimed that the app poses a threat to national security, and that prolonged usage could put app users at risk.
In the meeting, he stated that TikTok could be a means by which the Chinese government controls data collection. Another looming threat is the possibility that the recommendation algorithm could also be controlled by China so as to use it to influence millions of platform users.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a government inter-agency that works towards scrutiny and evaluation of foreign investments that could entangle with national security, brought TikTok's status in America under review.
Wray pointed out to the House Homeland Security Committee that China has been the most active foreign country when it comes to data mining information from America's personal and business data. He said:
“China’s vast hacking program is the world’s largest and they have stolen more Americans’ personal and business data than every other nation combined"
The review comes just days after Republican lawmakers produced a bill that would ensure the app being banned nationwide. Anti-China hawks took to Capitol Hill to demand that TikTok be able to continue its operations in the United States, on one condition that it cuts all ties with its parent company, ByteDance.
The app has been under review previously
Earlier, the Trump Administration had also tried to ban the app, along with other Chinese-operated apps like WeChat, which eventually led to Microsoft almost buying the app out. Instead, Oracle, an American tech corporation, was chosen to safeguard users' data.
The Biden administration, once again relying on Oracle, sought a deal to route TikTok traffic through servers owned by the Texas-based corporation. In addition, the company would also be responsible for auditing the app's algorithm to ensure data security.
The app is seen as a surveillance tool, equipped to harvest large amounts of sensitive data. Other countries have shared similar sentiments with countries like India and Russia successfully banning the app. Countries like Indonesia and Bangladesh have imposed censorship on it.
However, it is unclear whether or not the ban in the United States will be in effect. FBI concerns have been taken into consideration as the review proceeds. Until then, the app will continue to function to its full extent.
