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As the fallout from the US shootdown of a suspected Chinese spy balloon has subsided, republicans have focused on TikTok, a social media app that many believe to be stealing US user data,
Republican senator Tom Cotton expressed his outrage on Fox News when a US F-22 Raptor shot down the balloon, which China claims was an errant weather balloon.
“I think this spy balloon that so vividly went across America is a very high-profile reminder to Americans about what the Chinese communists have been up to,” Cotton said.
China’s Tiktok version, Douyin, has more content restrictions, especially for young users. Chinese children under 14 are only allowed 40 minutes of use and are only exposed to educational content.
The version used by users from other parts of the world includes built-in time limit controls, but they are optional, and many parents probably need to be aware that they exist.
TikTok automatically collects a vast amount of information, including the location and type of device being used and access to calendars and contacts.
After the FBI director singled out the app as a risky tool for manipulating information last year, TikTok has already been outlawed at the state level in a few Republican states. On devices provided by the government, the app is likewise prohibited by Congress. Even some colleges are doing the same, with the University of Wisconsin being the most recent.
In July 2022, Australian Senator James Paterson posted on Twitter, “I’ve written to Minister for Cyber Security Clare O’Neil to urge the Albanese government to take action to protect Australia’s 7 million TikTok users given these worrying revelations.”
The latest episode shows how strained US-China relations have become in recent years. As the two countries continue to grapple over TikTok and other issues, it is clear that tensions between them are unlikely to subside anytime soon.
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