Category: Bytedance

Republican Lawmaker Requests TikTok to Testify Over US Data Accessed From China

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has requested TikTok appear before the Senate for a hearing over concerns that the China-based video-sharing app has access to U.S. data. The lawmaker together with eight colleagues, including Ted Cruz (R-Fla.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.),  raised the issue with the company in a June 27 letter (pdf.) that followed a…


Senators Warner, Rubio Calling for Investigation of China’s Access to Data of US TikTok Users

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the top Republican member of the panel, are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to mount a formal investigation of the relationship between China and the owner of social media giant TikTok. “We write in response to public reports that individuals…


Sens. Warner, Rubio Call for Investigation of China’s Access to Data of US TikTok Users

U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the top Republican member of the panel, are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to formally investigate the relationship between the regime in China and the owner of social media giant TikTok. “We write in response to public reports that…


Ban China’s TikTok Now

Commentary TikTok, the wildly popular and youthful social media app, is controlled by China and tripled its ad revenue in 2022 to $12 billion. Companies want access to this latest conduit to mold youthful preferences, and every year they are willing to pay a lot for the privilege. Sixty percent of TikTok users are in…


TikTok an ‘Invasive Tool’ for Beijing: Lawmakers Warn of Threat After Report Shows US Data Accessed in China

The hugely popular short-video app TikTok is but “another invasive tool” for Beijing’s espionage campaign on America, said U.S. lawmakers after news of leaked internal recordings allegedly showing the app’s private U.S. user data being repeatedly accessed in China. Between at least September 2021 and January, engineers in China had access to the app’s U.S….


TikTok’s Withdrawal From Russia Is More About Pleasing Western Market: Expert

A recent pause of TikTok’s services in Russia is more to please the West rather than driven by safety concerns for its users, China experts have flagged. Chinese-owned TikTok said on March 6 that it would suspend live-streaming and the uploading of videos to its platform in Russia, fearing that the Kremlin will criminalize it…


TikTok Shares User Data With Third Parties More Than Other Social Media Apps: Study

TikTok collects and shares their users’ personal data with unknown third parties more than any other social media app, according to new research. According to a new study released last month by mobile marketing firm URL genius, both TikTok and YouTube track the most user among social media apps. However, while YouTube, which is owned by Google,…


Australian Prime Minister Joins TikTok Despite Warnings Around App’s Beijing Ties

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has uploaded two Christmas videos on hugely popular, yet controversial, music app TikTok despite warnings about its connections to Beijing. “G’day, TikTok. Merry Christmas from me and Bud and all of our family here to you and all of yours,” Morrison said in his first video on the Chinese owned…


Chinese Version of TikTok Limits App Use for Children Under 14

The Chinese version of TikTok, called Douyin, on Sept. 18 announced that it had placed limits on youth usage of the app of up to 40 minutes a day. Douyin said in a statement that all authorized users under 14 years old will now access the app in a “youth mode.” The move is part of…


Report on China’s Use of Soft Power in India a ‘Wake-Up Call’

China has managed to obtain extensive influence in India, including in the South Asian nation’s film industry, universities, media, and its tech industry, according to a report by an Indian think tank. In the years following World War II, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has utilized journalists and members of other organizations, especially those with…