Might TikTok nonetheless face a ban within the US?
The Trump administration had sought to bully the app into US possession, or face a ban, again in 2020, because of issues over its potential hyperlinks to the CCP, however since then TikTok has been capable of keep away from any main escalation in scrutiny, by working with US authorities on safety and transparency measures, within the hopes that it might be able to higher ingratiate it with key choice makers and officers.
However the prospect of a TikTok ban was raised this week, when TikTok COO Vanessa Pappas appeared earlier than a US Senate Committee Listening to into the impacts of social media on democracy, with varied questions leveled at Pappas over TikTok’s connections, and obligations, to the CCP.
Pappas refuted most issues, and tactically averted sure parts. However ultimately, questions nonetheless lingered about TikTok’s processes, and the way US person information might theoretically be fed by means of to the Chinese language Authorities through the app.
This additionally comes amid a broader crackdown on Chinese language tech funding exercise within the US.
As reported by The Wall Road Journal:
“The Biden administration is ordering a panel that screens international funding for nationwide safety dangers to intensify scrutiny of offers which will give China and different adversaries entry to essential applied sciences or might endanger provide chains and private information.”
That transfer is basically targeted on broader acquisition exercise by Chinese language tech firms, together with efforts by China-based buyers to amass US semiconductor firms, which have ramped up in current instances.
However it might additionally relate to TikTok, with reference to non-public information. And whereas this group can be taking a look at future funding, it appears probably that this might additionally sign a broader shift in focus inside US evaluation of all potential dangers on this respect.
For its half, TikTok says that it nonetheless working with US authorities to give you an answer that ‘will fulfill all nationwide safety issues’. That features shifting all US person information to Oracle information facilities within the US, which, in its view at the very least, ought to alleviate issues about China-based workers accessing US person info.
However nonetheless, Pappas wasn’t precisely crystal clear on whether or not US person information might be shared past the platform:
“Pappas affirmed in Wednesday’s listening to that the corporate has mentioned, on document, that its Chinese language workers do have entry to US person information. She additionally reiterated that TikTok has mentioned it might “by no means … give that information to China” and denied that TikTok is in any method influenced by China. Nonetheless, she averted saying whether or not ByteDance would maintain US person information from the Chinese language authorities or whether or not ByteDance could also be influenced by China.”
Pappas additionally averted questions on CCP-aligned staffers working for mum or dad firm ByteDance, and what that might imply for a similar.
Ultimately, regardless of Pappas’ greatest efforts, it wasn’t lots clearer the place TikTok stands with reference to US person information security, and what TikTok’s obligations could also be if the CCP have been to ask for such.
Which might nonetheless be a killer for the app. And with the Committee on Overseas Funding in the USA (CFIUS) nonetheless conducting a safety assessment of the app, and Meta utilizing its small military of lobbyists in Washington to proceed to seed doubt about its motivations and processes, it does appear that the specter of TikTok being banned within the US fully remains to be very actual, and looms as a legit risk ongoing.
Proper now, nonetheless, it looks as if its destiny is basically within the palms of the CCP itself.
India banned TikTok in 2020, because of ongoing border disputes with China, and it took that further battle, and escalation in exercise, to make Indian authorities lastly transfer to remove the potential risk that the app posed.
The US, already in an oscillating commerce battle with China, just lately raised tensions with the CCP additional by publicly supporting an unbiased Taiwan. The Biden Administration has taken a totally different strategy to China than Trump did, however the strains are there, and tensions might escalate at any time.
And in the event that they do, then TikTok might be caught within the center, and banned in consequence – but when additional, broader battle may be averted, perhaps TikTok can proceed to experience the road.
However that’s the place I’d be wanting. Proper now, the issues round TikTok are simmering, but when there’s a extra direct cause to take fast motion, that might occur, very quick.
