TikTok has been at the center of controversy amid the exponential growth of the platform worldwide. Photo: AFP
The Senate Intelligence Commission of United States of America asked the Federal Trade Commission (FC) on Tuesday to investigate whether the authorities of China that’s how it is access US user data via the TikTok app.
The letter, signed by the chairman of the commission, Marco Warnerand the vice president, Marco Rubio, urges the Commission to study in detail the use that Chinese engineers and officials could make of the data collected by TikTok and its owner company, also Chinese ByteDance.
“We write in response to public reports about individuals from the People’s Republic of China having access to US user data, contradicting other public statements and, in particular, sworn testimony in October 2021,” the letter states.
The senators also point out the application’s link with the Chinese government, which has a percentage of the parent company ByteDance Technology. On his Twitter account, Warner sued TikTok for taking out insurance that the data was safe.
In the letter, the Intelligence Committee cites a Buzzfeed investigative article that claimed Chinese employees of TikTok and ByteDance routinely accessed sensitive American user data, according to a leaked record of internal company meetings.
According to that piece, the company moves some of that data collected by officials in Beijing, despite TikTok representatives denying any contact between the popular application and the Chinese government during a hearing before the US Congress, held in October 2021.
“Recent updates to TikTok’s privacy policy, which indicate that it may collect biometric data such as facial fingerprints and voice recordings, raise concerns that US user data may be vulnerable to out-of-court access by third party agencies. Chinese security, “added the letter.
TikTok has been under control since 2019, when former US President Donald Trump (2017-2021) went so far as to ask ByteDance sold the application to US companies in order to continue operating in the country, although this measure has never been implemented.
TikTok is accused of espionage and dark affairs. Photo REUTERS
In Europe, last week TikTok pledged to align its practices with European Union standards on advertising and consumer protection, following dialogue with the European Commission and the network of national consumer protection authorities (CPC ).
TikTok’s answer
Through a statement, from the North American branch of TikTok they discussed access to data. “It is subject to a number of strong controls, safeguards such as encryption of certain data and authorization approval protocols overseen by our US-based leadership / security team.”
The company responded to the senators’ letter reiterating that “TikTok has never shared US user data with the Chinese government, nor would we if requested.”
Last week, the social network told US senators it was working on a final agreement with the Biden administration that would “fully protect US user data and national security interests.”
In turn, it acknowledged that employees based in China “may have access to user data of TikTok in the United States, subject to a series of robust cyber security controls and authorization approval protocols overseen by our US-based security team. “
With information from agencies.
SL
Source: Clarin
