Why are US officials worried about TikTok? A look at the Chinese owned social media hit

Last weekend, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger spoke on concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok. Specifically, he defended the lower enlisted ranks who’ve contributed to concerns raised by US officials about the potential for the Chinese government to access their data and the malignant ways in which it that information could be used.

For those unfamiliar with the app, TikTok is something of a cross between Instagram and Vine. It features short videos of everything from users lip-singing to dancing to music. Its success stems from its sophisticated algorithm system which tailors specific videos to users’ individual tastes.

While many younger service members are either aware of TikTok or an active user, what’s less well known is the app’s origin. TikTok began in China as Douyin, produced by its Beijing parent company ByteDance in 2016. A year later, TikTok hit US markets but didn’t take off until its merger with Musical.ly. Today, TikTok, in conjunction with its Chinese counterpart, has more than 500 million users.

Its success has raised concern among US government officials and national security experts over the ways that the communist government in Beijing may be able to access users’ data and censor certain content. ByteDance states that data from TikTok and Douyin are stored on separate servers and that the Chinese government does not have access to the information of TikTok users in the US. But an earlier copy of TikTok’s privacy policy stated that it may transfer data to China. Today, there’s no such mention on TikTok’s website. Officials worry that since the app’s parent company is based in Beijing, TikTok could still be forced to provide users’ data to China.

In addition to privacy concerns are worries about censorship and the ability for the Chinese government to manipulate and influence western audiences through apps like TikTok. Senator Marcos Rubio in October called for the US government to investigate ByteDance’s purchase of Musical.ly after a report by the Washington Post found a lack of videos about the protests in Hong Kong in comparison to other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

As for the US military, a report published earlier this year by a US think tank warned about the security risks posed by service members utilizing the app. It addressed videos clearly displaying identifiable information - such as dog tags - and the location data that TikTok collects.

In his address to a security forum on Dec 7, Berger addressed these concerns and how they pertain to US service members. He stated that fault did not lie with younger enlisted who utilize TikTok and other such apps, but their leaders' who have failed to clearly convey the security risks posed by them. Berger presented TikTok as a teaching opportunity for leaders to reinforce in subordinates the risks posed by the internet and social media. His message is especially relevant to service members as the US continues forward with its great power competition with China.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

Gen. Berger addresses Chinese-owned TikTok

Speaking at a security forum on Dec 7, Marine Corps Commandant Gen David Berger addressed growing concerns about the Chinese owned social media app TikTok and its potential threat to national security. He directed blame not to young members who are among the app’s most active users, but their leaders who, he says, have failed to properly convey the security risks posed by such apps.

TikTok report warns of risks posed by military

In a report published at the beginning of the year, Peterson Institute for International Economics warned that US service members raise a special type of security risk by posting videos containing identifiable information - such as dog tags - and TikTok’s collection of location data.

A look at TikTok’s history and success

This article by Bloomberg examines TikTok’s origin, its rise to popularity, and the controversy that has surrounded it.

What China does with data

Lastly, this investigation by the Associated Press looks at what China does with the data it collects. The article examines how one center in Shanghai uses information it obtains from electric vehicles to track them in real time. While there’s some restrictions on what the Chinese government can collect, it enjoys far more data than what’s legally obtainable in the US.