TikTok's security paradox: Balancing fun and fear

Last week, Abbey Crawford wrote an article highlighting the growing concerns surrounding TikTok's national security risks, economic impact, and the potential for political influence due to its Chinese ownership. The piece discussed the app’s immense role in the U.S. economy, with millions of users and billions of dollars in contributions.

The latest developments revolve around the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a law requiring TikTok to divest its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or face a ban. Ahead of the deadline, TikTok briefly shut down in the U.S., displaying a message that its service would no longer be available. But then President-elect Donald Trump intervened, signalling plans to extend the deadline by 90 days. Though TikTok denies any direct involvement with the Chinese government, critics say the app's extensive access to personal data remains a major concern. The debate is only growing as policymakers weigh the app's popularity against these perceived risks.

At the epicentre of this controversy is the way TikTok collects data. The app harvests a lot of personal information—location, browsing history, biometric data. This is not unusual in the tech world, but because TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, this sets off alarms, since China's tough data laws could see ByteDance forced to hand over user data to the Chinese government. Yet, there is no evidence to prove that the Chinese government has ever used TikTok to access the data of U.S. users.

Another major concern is TikTok’s algorithm, which tailors content based on user preferences, making it highly effective at shaping content consumption. Many worry that this power could be used to manipulate public opinion, particularly during elections. This combination of technological influence and Chinese ownership amplifies fears of potential political manipulation, posing a unique risk to U.S. national security.

These are not just concerns from the U.S. Other countries have already taken steps. Some countries, such as India, were among the first to ban TikTok in 2020 due to alleged threats to national security and privacy considering its ongoing geopolitical tensions with China. Other countries like Indonesia and Bangladesh have scrutinised TikTok. Indonesia briefly banned it but then lifted the ban after the company promised to bring in more effective content controls.

While espionage and malicious-activity concerns cannot be directly linked to TikTok, experts like Justin Miller, Associate Professor of Cyber Studies at the University of Tulsa and former U.S. Secret Service agent, warn that China would have the potential to spy on U.S. citizens through any app on any phone. And now, whether TikTok becomes a factor in helping to set the stage for digital governance or even more, a bipartisan issue is shaking things up and challenging the traditional view on how tech regulation should be handled.

The ultimate point, however, is that the debate over TikTok is not just about one app; rather, it touches many bigger issues of data privacy, tech sovereignty, and national security. The challenge for policymakers will be to strike a balance between addressing these concerns and preserving access to a platform that has become deeply embedded in daily life. As the conversation goes on, the future of TikTok in the U.S. depends on how these risks can be mitigated and if there could be an effective set of regulations which protect users without hampering innovation.