FBI says China may be using TikTok for 'influence operations' against Americans
The FBI has raised concerns about China-based video-sharing app TikTok, saying it poses a national security threat.
FBI Director Chris Wray warned on Friday that the social media app could be used for spying operations in the United States, the AP reported.
Speaking at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, Wray said he was concerned about how TikTok works and how China controls content offerings.
The app's algorithm recommendations allow China to "manipulate the content and, if desired, use it for influence operations", Wray said .
He added that China may collect user data for traditional spying operations, the AP reported.
Also read: YouTube, TikTok has overtaken Facebook in the fight against politically violent content, study finds
TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, has nearly 1 billion active users across 154 countries. This includes approximately 80 million monthly active users in the United States.
"All of these things are in the hands of a government that does not share our values and has a mission that is completely at odds with what is in the best interest of the States United,” Wray said.
Wray suggested that this is a matter for consideration by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. “Whether or not there is something that could adequately address these concerns is the product of much discussion within the interagency,” Bloomberg said, citing Wray.
TikTok has faced backlash from US regulators, and some congressional leaders, like Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), are calling for a ban on the platform .
In 2020, the Trump administration threatened to ban the app in the United States and ordered ByteDance to sell or divest its TikTok business in the United States. The Biden administration dropped that order and announced it would conduct its own review.
Earlier this year, the FCC asked Alphabet Inc GOOGL, Google, and Apple Inc AAPL to ban TikTok from its Google Play Store and iOS App Store, respectively.
© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The FBI has raised concerns about China-based video-sharing app TikTok, saying it poses a national security threat.
FBI Director Chris Wray warned on Friday that the social media app could be used for spying operations in the United States, the AP reported.
Speaking at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, Wray said he was concerned about how TikTok works and how China controls content offerings.
The app's algorithm recommendations allow China to "manipulate the content and, if desired, use it for influence operations", Wray said .
He added that China may collect user data for traditional spying operations, the AP reported.
Also read: YouTube, TikTok has overtaken Facebook in the fight against politically violent content, study finds
TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, has nearly 1 billion active users across 154 countries. This includes approximately 80 million monthly active users in the United States.
"All of these things are in the hands of a government that does not share our values and has a mission that is completely at odds with what is in the best interest of the States United,” Wray said.
Wray suggested that this is a matter for consideration by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. “Whether or not there is something that could adequately address these concerns is the product of much discussion within the interagency,” Bloomberg said, citing Wray.
TikTok has faced backlash from US regulators, and some congressional leaders, like Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), are calling for a ban on the platform .
In 2020, the Trump administration threatened to ban the app in the United States and ordered ByteDance to sell or divest its TikTok business in the United States. The Biden administration dropped that order and announced it would conduct its own review.
Earlier this year, the FCC asked Alphabet Inc GOOGL, Google, and Apple Inc AAPL to ban TikTok from its Google Play Store and iOS App Store, respectively.
© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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