The Case for Banning TikTok:

TikTok is a social media app that has gained massive popularity recently, especially among younger generations. The app allows users to create and curate their short-form content and has quickly become one of the most downloaded apps in the world. However, as the app's popularity has grown, so have concerns about its privacy and security.

A recent article by Bored Panda (https://www.boredpanda.com/tik-tok-reverse-engineered-data-information-collecting/) revealed that TikTok collects vast amounts of data about its users and their devices. Data is collected through the app's code, which cybersecurity researchers have reverse-engineered. The researchers found that TikTok collects data about a user's phone's hardware, operating system, network, other installed apps, and even the keystrokes they make on their devices. This data collection is done without users' explicit consent or knowledge. For those who do not want to call it out, stop reading, as this is identity theft in the making!

To use TikTok, you must permit them to use your likeness and voice without your knowledge. Combined with the keylogger found, they can now literally (leveraging AI) create a highly convincing deep fake of you (again, without your knowledge). This theft needs to be stopped. What's even more concerning is how that data is used. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is based in China, leading to fears that the Chinese government could access and use the data TikTok collects for nefarious purposes. Given China's internet censorship and surveillance history, this information is especially worrying.

Furthermore, the article by Bored Panda also revealed that TikTok's privacy policy allows the app to share user data with "a parent, subsidiary, or other affiliates of our corporate group," which means that even if the Chinese government does not have direct access to the data, it could still be shared with other companies and entities within ByteDance's corporate group. These revelations are deeply concerning, especially given how popular TikTok has become. The app has over 1 billion active users, many of whom are children and teenagers who may need to be made aware of the risks associated with using the app.

Another issue with TikTok is the content that users are exposed to. The app's algorithms are designed to show users content that the app's algorithm deems to be relevant to them. While this can make the app more engaging for users, it also means that the content they see is highly personalized, making it easier for bad actors to target them with malicious content or ads. This problem also needs a foot stomp. One of the issues from the 2016 and 2020 elections was hyper-micro-targeting (with information taken inappropriately from Meta in that case). When you can have so much personal information on so many people (and then add the ability to create fakes), you can present content as genuine even though it is 100% inaccurate or disingenuous. Getting people to change how they feel about truth threatens national security!

In an example not related to national security, but in this case their influence on our younger population (who are already struggling with many mental health challenges), the app's algorithm may show a user content related to eating disorders if they have searched for or engaged with similar content in the past. By doing so, the app can make it easier for people struggling with eating disorders to be exposed to harmful content that could exacerbate their condition. Mental health challenges, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, and bullying are all rising in the younger population. TikTok (while not solely responsible for all of this) is part of this group of highly addictive and dangerous apps.

Moreover, TikTok has been criticized for handling user data and privacy concerns. In 2019, the app was fined $5.7 million by the US Federal Trade Commission for illegally collecting data from children under 13. The app was also banned in India in 2020 due to national security and data privacy concerns.

Despite these concerns, many users continue to use the app, and it remains one of the world's most popular social media platforms. However, it is essential for users to be aware of the risks associated with using TikTok and to take steps to protect their privacy and security online.

For example, users can limit the amount of personal information they share on the app, such as their full name, phone number, or email address. They can also adjust their privacy settings to limit who can see their content and information. Users should also be cautious when clicking links or engaging with content on the app. TikTok has been used to spread malware and other harmful content, and users should be vigilant when interacting with content on the app.

In conclusion, TikTok is a potentially dangerous app that collects vast amounts of data about its users and their devices. This data is power, and they are gathered untold amounts of it and placed in direct control of a state-controlled foreign country that views the United States in a less than positive way. The time for Congress and the President of the United States to finish the job and ban TikTok is now.