The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has raised concerns about the potential for the Chinese regime to manipulate TikTok’s algorithm to influence the content seen by users in the United States. The DOJ filed a brief with an appeals court requesting the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by TikTok challenging a new U.S. law that could result in a nationwide ban on the app unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
The DOJ highlighted the national security threat posed by TikTok, noting its collection of sensitive data from its 170 million U.S. users, including precise locations, viewing habits, and private messages. The DOJ warned that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could exploit its authority to access U.S. consumer data and ByteDance’s algorithm.
The DOJ expressed concerns that China could covertly control TikTok’s algorithm to push content for its own malicious purposes, such as spreading disinformation and fueling social divisions. The department also accused TikTok of promoting certain videos through a practice called “heating” to manipulate public discourse and perceptions.
TikTok has contested the allegations, arguing that the new law violates the First Amendment by stifling user voices. The app maintains that it does not share U.S. user data with the CCP, although Chinese law requires ByteDance to provide such data upon request.
The new law mandates a TikTok sale by January 2025, with a possible extension by President Biden. Despite the ongoing legal battle, TikTok remains confident in its position and plans to continue fighting the government’s actions in court. Please rewrite the following sentence for me.
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