Restrictive bans on the popular app Tik Tok are becoming popular in the U.S, sparking debate.
“Over a five-week stretch, nearly two dozen state governors and officials have imposed government restrictions of TikTok in their states. Most are Republicans, but a few Democrats are joining them. The bans range from prohibiting the device on government internet networks to restricting state employees from using or downloading the app on state devices.” (Washington Post).
Other countries have also taken a stand against the app but have not produced bans yet.
“One of the loudest critics is French President Emmanuel Macron, who has called TikTok ‘deceptively innocent’ and a cause of ‘real addiction’ among users, as well as a source of Russian disinformation. Such comments have gone hand-in-hand with aggressive media coverage in France, including Le Parisien daily's December 29 front page calling TikTok ‘A real danger for the brains of our children.’” (Politico).
Tik Tok faces a variety of criticisms.
“TikTok faces criticism from nonpartisan national security officials. FBI Director Christopher A. Wray has warned about the app, telling a Michigan audience last month that the Chinese government’s ability to control TikTok’s algorithm or collect data for espionage ‘should concern us.’ Some state bans have cited Wray’s concerns as a reason for banning the app.”
More specifically, in Europe, Tik Tok has violated privacy rules.
“That said, the probes TikTok is facing deal with suspected violations that have already taken place. If Ireland's data regulator, which leads investigations on behalf of other EU states, finds that TikTok has broken the bloc's privacy rulebook, the General Data Protection Regulation, fines could amount to up to 4 percent of the firm's global turnover. Penalties can be even higher under the DSA, which starts applying to big platforms in mid-2023.” (Politico).
Despite this, the U.S is the only one to go through with such bans.
“So far, though, no European government or public body has followed the U.S. in banning TikTok usage on officials' phones. In response to questions from POLITICO, a spokesperson for the European Commission — which previously advised its employees against using Meta's WhatsApp — wrote that any restriction on TikTok usage for EU civil servants would ‘require a political decision and will be based on the careful assessment of data protection cybersecurity concerns, and others.’” (Politico).
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Sources:
Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/10/there-are-tiktok-bans-nearly-two-dozen-states/
Politico. https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-tiktok-china-banned-brussels-video-sharing-app-spying/
