TikTok continues to work to reassure western governments that it’s not beholden to the CCP, with the corporate near establishing a brand new settlement with the Committee on Overseas Funding in the US (CFIUS) which might provide assurances to US officers as to how, precisely, US consumer knowledge is saved and accessed, and would additionally embrace restrictions on potential interference by Chinese language employees.
As reported by The New York Instances:
“The Biden administration and TikTok have drafted a preliminary settlement to resolve nationwide safety considerations posed by the Chinese language-owned video app […] The 2 sides have hammered out the foundations of a deal during which TikTok would make adjustments to its knowledge safety and governance with out requiring its proprietor, the Chinese language web big ByteDance, to promote it, mentioned three of the individuals, who spoke on the situation of anonymity as a result of the negotiations are confidential.”
Beneath the settlement, TikTok would retailer its US consumer knowledge solely in the US, which it’s already working in the direction of in a cope with Oracle, whereas Oracle officers would even be given oversight of TikTok’s algorithms and moderation programs. TikTok would additionally create a brand new board of safety consultants, reporting to the US authorities, enabling extra direct monitoring of its knowledge security processes.
The deal just isn’t finalized as but, and would doubtless want sign-off from President Joe Biden earlier than going into impact. In response to the Instances, Treasury and Justice Division officers are nonetheless working by the main points, with many nonetheless skeptical that it’ll truly make it by to the subsequent stage.
However evidently TikTok should discover a approach to get the deal accomplished, or it dangers dropping its whole US enterprise, which might additionally doubtless see different western nations observe go well with in banning the app, if the US felt that it remained a major sufficient safety menace.
At this stage, it appears unlikely that we may see a platform utilized by a billion individuals shut down fully – however then once more, as world tensions proceed to simmer, and China continues to exert its authority over areas like Taiwan and Hong Kong, there are considerations that TikTok may very well be caught within the center, and be used as both a surveillance machine, or a propaganda software in an any escalation on this entrance.
And even, one thing else. One conspiracy idea circulating on-line is that TikTok is definitely being utilized by the CCP to stoke discord and dissent among the many western youth, by selling harmful, dangerous traits and content material, successfully linking these behaviors to the dopamine hit of social media Likes and feedback.
No matter it could or will not be, considerations across the app, and its possession, proceed to linger.
And actually, inevitably, TikTok’s future will likely be intertwined with the choices of the CCP. If tensions escalate, TikTok will develop into extra of a spotlight – which is why this new deal is vital to the longevity of the app, and reassuring western governments that the platform is separate from political interference.
If that’s even potential whereas the platform stays in Chinese language possession. However that’s why the necessities listed here are so steep, and whereas it could appear excessive to permit safety consultants to watch TikTok’s operations, given the aforementioned considerations, it does make some sense.
Once more, it appears unlikely that TikTok may very well be lower off fully, however India did it because of ongoing border battles with Chinese language forces.
If worldwide tensions escalate, that would occur once more, however on a wider scale.
