Whereas TikTok has over 150 million US customers, who’re more and more spending extra of their time within the app, its recognition may be clouding considerations round its potential for hurt, which is the important thing focus of the ongoing discussions round whether or not or to not ban the app.

And whereas, for essentially the most half, I might belief the recommendation of cybersecurity specialists on this entrance, with numerous officers, from numerous nations, elevating important considerations concerning the app, I might additionally look to different circumstances the place China-based teams have been in search of to infiltrate US-based networks, so as to collect info, seed propaganda, and manipulate opinion.

Which is going on on a regular basis. Simply right now, Microsoft reported that Chinese language state-sponsored group ‘Volt Tycoon’ has carried out numerous operations designed to disrupt essential communications infrastructure between the US and Asia, with a view to manipulating such in circumstances of future crises.

As per Microsoft:

“Volt Hurricane has been lively since mid-2021 and has focused essential infrastructure organizations in Guam and elsewhere in the USA. On this marketing campaign, the affected organizations span the communications, manufacturing, utility, transportation, building, maritime, authorities, info expertise, and schooling sectors. Noticed habits means that the risk actor intends to carry out espionage and keep entry with out being detected for so long as doable.”

Google, in the meantime, has eliminated tens of 1000’s of YouTube channels over the previous 12 months linked to a different China-based risk actor known as ‘Dragonbridge’, which seeks to construct YouTube audiences with a view to spreading pro-China propaganda, whereas Twitter and Fb are additionally frequently tasked with addressing Chinese language-backed campaigns designed to regulate and affect dialogue inside every app.

Given the scope of efforts to mitigate such on non-Chinese language-owned platforms, it appears fairly secure to imagine that TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, is much more prone to be a vector for a similar. And with ByteDance primarily based in China, it’s tougher for authorities to make sure optimum transparency over such, whereas the corporate can be sure by China’s cybersecurity legal guidelines, which successfully grant full knowledge entry to CCP officers on request.

Add to this reviews that ByteDance has many CCP-aligned employees, and that the corporate has itself sought to make use of TikTok knowledge for surveillance functions, on US journalists no much less, and it does appear that there’s a reasonably robust case for concern about TikTok’s operational approaches on this respect, and the way it might be a software for illicit schemes.

TikTok, in fact, has repeatedly denied this, whereas additionally claiming that its US consumer knowledge will quickly be siloed off from all China-based employees. However even that declare has been refuted by Oracle, its key associate on this undertaking, whereas latest reviews have additionally advised that TikTok employees have been sharing consumer info by way of inside messaging techniques, which might simply be infiltrated.

At finest, the reviews recommend that TikTok’s groups have a distinct view on optimum knowledge safety than many western cybersecurity specialists, whereas at worst, they replicate that TikTok is certainly beholden to the Chinese language Authorities, and that mother or father firm ByteDance is already doing its bidding.

And once more, once you match this up with broader reportage of China-based affect operations in different apps, I’d says the case for a TikTok ban is pretty robust, notably as China continues to escalate tensions with neighboring areas, and threaten to problem the US on completely different fronts.

The counter-argument that different apps additionally observe and make the most of related consumer knowledge is just not the identical on this respect, as there’s no geopolitical adversarialism inside US-based organizations. And there’s no file of Meta or Twitter seeking to manipulate such in the identical method, with ByteDance seemingly taking a distinct view to this factor than US firms.

Does that imply that TikTok must be banned? Once more, I might facet with the specialists on this entrance, who can be far more knowledgeable of the potential for hurt. However I might notice that there’s a robust case, and that if you’re advocating for TikTok to stay in operation, it is advisable take into account your private bias inside that, and whether or not the reported info match up with this stance.

CFIUS is nonetheless deliberating on a US ban, and TikTok continues to be working to handle all considerations, which may nonetheless see a collaborative answer established. However don’t be stunned if the White Home does announce a ban, someday within the close to future. Whether or not you just like the app or not.