TikTok Update 2023

What is the current state of the controversial social media site TikTok?

2023 has not been kind to the social media giant TikTok but with Meta losing billions on VR research [1] and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on the verge of collapse [2], no one can be blamed for not noticing. What new hurdles lies before TikTok and how likely are they to surmount them?

TikTok Faces Multi-Million Dollar Fine in the EU

Regulators in the European Union are considering multi-million euro fines against TikTok for its failure to comply with regulations aimed at protecting children [3]. This comes on the heels of a fine in the United Kingdom equating to over $16,000,000 U.S. for mishandling the data of minors in 2022. The E.U. believes that TikTok has failed to comply with the bloc’s Digital Service Act which requires social media companies to police illegal content, prohibit certain advertising practices geared toward children, and share data with authorities when requested.

Talks between representatives of the E.U. in Ireland, where TikTok is based in Europe, and TikTok are ongoing to see if a resolution is possible but we do know some of the areas which prompted concerns. According to reporting on the subject, “Irish regulator wanted to check whether the Chinese-owned app ensured its default settings sufficiently protected children’s privacy and if the company was transparent enough in how it processed minors’ data. One of the trickiest points has also been TikTok’s age-verification practices, intended to keep minors under 13 off its platform” [4].

American’s Data Stored and Accessed In China

The American CEO of TikTok appeared before Congress several months ago and answered several questions about the platform he runs. Among his contentions were claims that the data of U.S. citizens are not kept in China but instead in Virginia and Singapore. Further, he testified under oath that the data the company maintains of American users has not been accessed by the Chinese government of the Chinese Communist Party. However, recent reporting has shown that none of this is true [5].

A recent report by Forbes shows that TikTok keeps the financial date of some of the platforms biggest stars on servers in China. One can easily imagine how the economic wellbeing of celebrities can be used against them to force the sharing of Chinese backed propaganda. When a platform has as much power over Americans as TikTok does, do we really want their most influential users under the possible economic control of a hostile foreign power?

Further, leaked audio from internal TikTok meetings has shown that US user data has been repeatedly accessed from within China. How many individuals have shared data on the platform, either publicly or privately, that could be used as blackmail ? Who is accessing the data anyway? What is the information being used for?

These questions and more have Republicans and Democrats alike calling for heightened scrutiny of the tech giant nation wide.

A Big Apple A Day Keeps the TikTok Away: NYC Battles TikTok

New York City joined dozens of municipalities and government agencies in August banning the download of TikTok on government devices citing security concerns [6]. As reported by the New York Times, Jonah Allon, a spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams, said in a statement that the city’s Cyber Command determined that the app “posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks.” City agencies must remove the app within 30 days and employees will lose access to TikTok and its website from city-owned devices and networks.

Hundreds if not thousands of City employees are issued cell phones and tablets in furtherance of their work duties. It is unknown how many have downloaded TikTok previously but, clearly, it is enough that the City thought the issue was worth addressing. No one can be blamed for taking strong action against TikTok given reports of Chinese made and controlled malware infecting American systems nationwide [7]. The idea of the Chinese Communist Party being able to retaliate against American citizens by corrupting or disabling utilities, transport, or other vital systems is a chilling one.

Countries Try To Ban TikTok

Lawmakers worldwide share the concerns of New York City and are issuing similar bans [8]. Imagine a world where Chinese malware, carried through apps like TikTok, can deactivate public transportation during rush hour or cause a blackout during a heatwave! Apps like TikTok, if allowed to access vital systems, could cause economic disaster and even death if left unchecked.

We must also consider the possibility of blackmail or coercion by the Chinese government using data obtained from TikTok as touched upon above. The ability to compromise government officials has long been the staple of any strategy in dealing with adversaries on the world stage. If the Chinese government were to gain control of people due to financial or personal information, be they government officials or public figures, who knows what damage their newfound agents could unleash.

The Next Ukraine Front: TikTok

Even foreign actors who don’t have ties to the company have found a use for TikTok. According to a report by the Alliance for Securing Democracy, Russia "has been using the app to push its own narrative” regarding the war in Ukraine. "More TikTok users follow RT[, a Russian government controlled news station,] than follow the New York Times" [9].

"Just a tremendous number of people in the United States use TikTok," John Plumb, the principal cyber adviser to the U.S. secretary of defense, told members of a House Armed Services subcommittee, warning of "the control China may have to direct information through it" and use it as a "misinformation platform" [10].

How Does TikTok Survive?

With over 1 billion users, TikTok is the 6th most popular social media platform on the planet. Despite all of the issues they face they have more users than Twitter, Reddit, or LinkedIn, being beaten only by the Meta suite of products and YouTube. Further, the company has seen an almost 140% increase in value with revenue jumping from $4.6 billion in 2021 to $11 billion in 2022 [11].

With their user base and cash coffers growing, the only way to halt TikTok’s march into further influence is to create legislation here and now to combat it. However, too many politicians seem content to only discuss the issue without actually addressing it. Only time will tell if TikTok will face repercussions or move on unscathed and unchallenged.