Why This Data Expert Says TikTok Isn’t Safe

Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Warren, and the cast of High School Musical are just a few of the famous faces having a blast on the video-sharing app TikTok. But are all these fun dances, challenges, and pranks as harmless as they seem? There are serious concerns that we need to consider about the app according to analyst Fergus Ryan, who believes TikTok may not be what it seems.

"I know I sound like the fun police," Ryan begins. "It's a great app; it's just unfortunate that it's owned and operated by a company that has the Chinese Communist Party looking over their shoulder all the time."

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China, which is home to many thriving and innovative tech companies. However, the Chinese government has taken significant steps to ensure it has ultimate control over these companies. This control is maintained by implementing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) committees within the companies, giving them oversight over business operations. While this may not mean direct business decisions are influenced, it does mean that new products are developed with CCP oversight.

ByteDance recently faced a mandate to take down their new workplace messaging app, Feishu, under claims that it allowed users to access posts on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, which are banned in China. Similarly, TikTok aims to keep its platform light, entertaining, and apolitical—a stance that aligns with Chinese censorship laws but may not be acceptable elsewhere around the world.

"There are many other things that TikTok may be censoring, from the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong to content related to the LGBTQ community," claims Ryan. While this may seem uncontroversial within China, this same censorship approach doesn't work globally. TikTok, however, denies allegations of censorship and told Inside Edition that diversity is a core strength of the TikTok community.

Another significant concern is privacy. China is known for its extensive mass surveillance, both online and on the streets. This extends to the data collected by TikTok. A quick look at TikTok's Terms & Conditions reveals that the app requires a large number of permissions, including access to camera and location data. While some of these make sense for a video-sharing app, others are more puzzling, such as the need for GPS coordinates.

"Much of this data is being vacuumed up by TikTok, and the concern is that it is being sent back to Beijing," explains Ryan. TikTok maintains that data is stored in Singapore and the United States, but that doesn’t exclude the possibility of Beijing-based engineers accessing that data.

The issue is exacerbated by China's national security laws that compel companies and individuals to cooperate with authorities on intelligence-gathering operations. This means the data collected by TikTok could potentially be used by Chinese intelligence services, painting a detailed picture of everyday lives—information that is highly valuable for intelligence purposes.

Ryan further points out that TikTok is fundamentally an AI company that emphasizes data collection and analysis. It doesn't just track hashtags but also analyzes faces and feeds this data into facial recognition algorithms. This data could, in the future, even predict what users would look like as they age.

So why should average TikTok users like American teenagers be concerned? "Right now, they might be just posting funny content," Ryan says. "But if that data is stored and later accessed by foreign governments, it could be easily used against them if they pursue sensitive careers in government, military, or industry sectors."

TikTok users may need to think twice the next time they record themselves doing a viral dance. The capabilities of this technology are rapidly evolving, and we must anticipate where it’s headed in the next few years.

Keywords

Jennifer Lopez
Elizabeth Warren
High School Musical
TikTok
ByteDance
Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Fergus Ryan
Censorship
Privacy
Data collection
Surveillance
National Security Laws
Artificial Intelligence (AI)

FAQ

Q1: Who are some of the famous personalities using TikTok?
A1: Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Warren, and the cast of High School Musical are among the famous faces using TikTok.

Q2: What is the major concern about TikTok's ownership?
A2: TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company, and there are concerns about Chinese government oversight and control.

Q3: Does TikTok censor content?
A3: While TikTok denies censorship, there are claims it censors content related to pro-democracy protests, LGBTQ topics, and other political content, especially aligning with Chinese censorship laws.

Q4: What kind of data does TikTok collect from its users?
A4: TikTok collects a wide range of data, including camera access, GPS location, and even facial recognition data.

Q5: Where does TikTok store its user data?
A5: TikTok states that user data is stored in Singapore and the United States, although there are concerns about access by Beijing-based engineers.

Q6: Why should average users be concerned about TikTok's data collection?
A6: If stored and accessed later, this data could be used by foreign governments against users who may pursue sensitive careers in government, military, or industrial sectors.