MAHMOUD BENNETT: TIKTOK IS BACK IN THE HEADLINES UNDER A NEW THREAT OF GETTING WIPED FROM THE APP STORE
THE US FCC COMMISSIONER NOW CALLING ON APPLE AND GOOGLE TO REMOVE THE POPULAR APPLICATION FROM THEIR STORES CITING THREATS OF CHINESE SURVEILLANCE:
IN A LETTER COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR WRITING QUOTE:
“AT ITS CORE, TIKTOK FUNCTIONS AS A SOPHISTICATED SURVEILLANCE TOOL THAT HARVESTS EXTENSIVE AMOUNTS OF PERSONAL AND SENSITIVE DATA.”
CALLS TO GET RID OF TIK TOK ARE NOT NEW. IN 2020, PRESIDENT TRUMP EVEN HAD A NATIONAL BAN READY TO GO – SIGNING AN EXECUTIVE ORDER DECLARING THE CHINESE OWNED PLATFORM A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY
COURTS PAUSED THAT BAN WHEN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TOOK POWER – MANY CALLING THE EFFORTS POLITICAL TODAY TIK TOK’S OWN USERS ARE RAISING RED FLAGS AND IT’S PUSHED EXPERTS TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
TIKTOK COLLECTS EVERYTHING FROM SEARCH HISTORY – TO KEYSTROKES, LOCATION AND YOUR FACEPRINT – CRITICS SAY THIS MIRRORS THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT USES ON ITS OWN PEOPLE
BUT THE APP ALREADY HAS A MASSIVE CULTURAL INFLUENCE AROUND THE WORLD SURPASSING ONE BILLION USERS IN 2021 – IT’S ON TRACK TO TRIPLE IT’S REVENUE THIS YEAR INCHING CLOSER TO FACEBOOK’S TOP SPOT AS THE SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT OF THE WORLD