What concerns, if any, do you have about TikTok? Why do these things worry you? Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle brought up worries about the app, including what data is collected from American users, how the algorithm could be used to manipulate them, the app’s impact on young people, and the display of troubling content, such as violent threats. What is your reaction to a potential ban of TikTok in the United States? Are lawmakers’ concerns about the app warranted, in your opinion? How do you think a ban might affect you? Students, read the entire article and then tell us: You can watch some of the highlights compiled by The Times here: In a roughly five-hour hearing on March 23, Congress grilled Shou Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, about these concerns and more. Britain, Canada and Belgium have done the same. The federal government and more than half of the states have banned TikTok from government devices and networks. is escalating efforts to limit TikTok’s power. In the future, lawmakers say, it’s easy to imagine how China could use TikTok to shape American attitudes about Taiwan - or an American presidential campaign. “A Chinese company owns what has become America’s number one culture maker right now,” Sapna Maheshwari, a Times reporter who covers TikTok, said. TikTok has been accused of censoring videos about politically sensitive subjects for China, like Tibetan independence and the Tiananmen Square massacre. Second, ByteDance could use TikTok’s algorithms to influence Americans. Despite ByteDance’s close ties to China, TikTok has denied that it has given data to the government. ByteDance also admitted that employees, including two based in China, spied on journalists and obtained their IP addresses, but said that company leaders had not signed off and that the employees were fired. BuzzFeed found that ByteDance engineers in China had accessed American users’ private data. has two main reasons for concern.įirst is the threat of Chinese espionage. This fight is ostensibly about data: who controls it and determines how it appears on TikTok. Jackson goes on to explain the concerns in more detail: One Republican called it a “ spy balloon in your phone.” officials are worried that China will use TikTok to promote its interests and gather Americans’ personal information. Under China’s authoritarian state, the government has sweeping control over tech companies and their data. TikTok says that includes about 150 million Americans. The social media app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has more than a billion users. “We had this advantage that we thought would just go on forever,” Bruce Schneier, a security expert and Harvard fellow, said. With court approval, the government can demand that social media giants, based in the U.S. Governments want to use this data for surveillance, law enforcement and espionage. They know where we travel, who our friends are and what we watch. Tech companies gather incredible amounts of data about their users. It has also offered an advantage in a less obvious area - national security. The platforms are so powerful, their names are verbs: Google, Uber, Instagram, Netflix.įor years, the dominance of American tech companies has brought economic benefits to the United States. In “ The Threat of TikTok,” in the March 23 edition of The Morning Newsletter, Lauren Jackson writes: Do you use TikTok? If so, how much and what for? Do you use it mainly to consume content, or are you a creator yourself?Īre you aware that the United States is considering a ban on the app? What, if anything, would you lose if that were to happen?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |