<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&amp;c2=36750692&amp;cv=3.6.0&amp;cj=1"> Is TikTok a Threat to National Security?
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
Your details are incorrect, or aren't in our system yet. Please try again, or sign up if you're new here.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Create a GAMURS
By g up, you agree to our and of Service.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Choose a name
Choose a unique name using 3-30 alphanumeric characters.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Choose your preferences
Choose how we communicate with you, opt out at anytime.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
Check your email
An confirmation link was sent to your email. Don't forget to check your spam!
Enter the email address you used when you ed and we'll send you instructions to reset your .
If you used Apple or Google to create your , this process will create a for your existing .
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Reset instructions sent. If you have an with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or if the problem persists.
Image via TikTok

Is TikTok a threat to national security?

Is the Chinese-based social media phenomenon a risk to U.S. citizens?

TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media apps with an estimated one billion monthly active s. Now a growing number of U.S. Officials and Tech CEOs have raised concerns over the Chinese-owned video platform’s stronghold on America’s youth, as well as having access to personal data of U.S. citizens.

Recommended Videos

TikTok has two main feeds: “Following” which delivers s videos from creators they’ve chosen to follow and “For You,” the main page showing a never-ending batch of video content the TikTok algorithm has tailor made for each . The more videos a watches on the platform, the more curated the feed will become.

According to Comscore, the highest share of s on TikTok are within the 10-19 age group at 32.5 percent. Many critics believe that TikTok’s incredibly addictive nature could be the perfect tool for China to corrupt impressionable minds.

This fear may stem from Russia’s use of Facebook to sow political division during the 2016 presidential election. According to The New York Times, Facebook told Congress that the shadow Russian company, Internet Research Agency “had posted roughly 80,000 pieces of divisive content that was shown to about 29 million people between January 2015 and August 2017.”

Others believe China could use the platform to spy on U.S. citizens. At the 2022 Code Conference, podcast host and author Scott Galloway said, “TikTok should be banned in every democracy” and that “it is, of course, a tool of espionage.”

Despite TikTok dismissing privacy concerns by assuring U.S. data is stored in the U.S. and not China where its parents company, ByteDance, is located, BuzzFeed News obtained leaked audio from 80 internal meetings that showed employees in China had accessed data about U.S. TikTok s.

“The recordings, which were reviewed by BuzzFeed News, contain 14 statements from nine different TikTok employees indicating that engineers in China had access to U.S. data between September 2021 and January 2022, at the very least.”

Emily Baker-White, BuzzFeed

An anonymous employee of TikTok’s Trust and Safety Department said in a September 2021 meeting that “everything is seen in China.”

Right now, TikTok is a safe place for s to enjoy a wide variety of video content, but that doesn’t mean that the platform is immune from future security risks.


We Got This Covered is ed by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about our Policy
Author