Chris WrayOn Friday, the FBI director warned TikTok that control of the popular video-sharing app is in the hands of the Chinese government – writes AP International news agency.
Ray said the FBI was concerned that the Chinese might control the app’s recommendation algorithm, which would allow them to manipulate content and use it for influence operations if they wanted to. He also alleged that China could use the app to collect data about its users that could be used in conventional intelligence operations.
All of these things are in the hands of a government that does not share our values and whose mission is deeply inconsistent with the best interests of the United States. This is a cause for concern
Ray spoke to an audience at Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan.
The concerns he has now expressed are similar to those he raised before Congress in November when the issue was brought up.
TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. A company spokesperson did not respond to questions about the FBI director’s comments on Friday. However, in the Senate session held in September Vanessa PappasTikTok’s chief operating officer, responded to questions from both parties that the company protects all data from US users and that Chinese government officials do not have access to it.
We will never share data. Goal!
– said the operations manager.
Because of China’s influence over TikTok, the Trump administration threatened to ban the app in the US in 2020 and pressured ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American company. US officials and the company are currently negotiating a potential deal that would address US security concerns.
