Experts have described TikTok as a tool used for propaganda and misinformation to influence Americans. They claim that the app is used to promote specific content chosen by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) while concealing its origins.
About 20 former U.S. national security officials have filed a legal brief defending a law that requires ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app due to national security concerns. These officials argue that TikTok poses a significant threat to the United States as the CCP has access to data collected from its American users.
The experts also point out that major cyberattacks coordinated by the CCP have exposed sensitive data of millions of Americans in the past. They warn that the combination of these hacks and the data accessible to the Chinese government through TikTok poses a serious national security risk.
Despite TikTok’s claims of independence from its Chinese parent company and efforts to address data security concerns, experts believe that the app functions as an arm of the CCP. They assert that TikTok serves as a platform for the CCP to push propaganda and misinformation to influence American users.
Overall, experts believe that TikTok’s operations align with the interests of the CCP, prompting Congress to take action to address national security concerns. The lawsuit filed in a California federal court may result in TikTok facing civil penalties of up to $51,000 per violation per day, in accordance with Federal Trade Commission regulations.
