INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Two lawmakers have asked the government most senior United States intelligence official to assess if video-sharing app TikTok could pose
&national security risks& to the United States.
In a letter by Sens
Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), the lawmakers asked the acting director of national intelligence Joseph Maguire if the app
maker could be compelled to turn Americans& data over to the Chinese authorities.
TikTok has some 110 million downloads to date and has
spiked in popularity for its ability to record short, snappy videos that are sharable across social media networks
But the lawmakers say because TikTok is owned by a Beijing-based company, it could be compelled by the Chinese government to turn over user
data — such as location data, cookies, metadata and more — even if it stored on servers it owns in the United States.
Both Schumer and
Cotton warn that TikTok parent company, ByteDance, is &still required to adhere& to Chinese law.
Security experts have voiced concerns that
China vague patchwork of intelligence, national security, and cybersecurity laws compel Chinese companies to support and cooperate with
intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party,& the letter, dated Wednesday, said
&Without an independent judiciary to review requests made by the Chinese government for data or other actions, there is no legal mechanism
for Chinese companies to appeal if they disagree with a request.
That same legal principle works both ways
United States companies have been shut out, or had their access limited, in some nation states — including China — over fears that they
could be compelled to spy on behalf of the United States government.
In the aftermath of the Edward Snowden disclosures, which revealed the
United States government vast surveillance operation, several major tech companies were all dropped from China approved state purchases
list amid fear of United States cooperation in surveillance.
The senators also said they are concerned that the app was censoring content
&deemed politically sensitive& to Beijing
In September, The Guardian revealed that the app moderators actively censor content relating to Tibetan independence, the Tiananmen Square
massacre and the banned religious group Falun Gong.
They also said the app could pose a &counterintelligence& threat as it could be used as
a foreign influence tool as seen in the 2016 United States presidential election.
When reached, a spokesperson for the Office of the
Director of National Intelligence would not comment.
TikTok said it was &carefully reviewing& the letter.
We will not be offering any
further comment on it at this time other than to reaffirm that TikTok is committed to being a trusted and responsible corporate citizen in
the United States , which includes working with Congress and all relevant regulatory agencies,& said TikTok spokesperson Josh
Gartner.
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