TikTok represents ‘strategic’ challenge, says top US cyber official

29Mar

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Technology

TikTok represents ‘strategic’ challenge, says top US cyber official

The head of the U.S. National Security Agency's cybersecurity directorate on Monday said TikTok represents a "strategic issue" rather than an immediate "tactical" threat to the United States.Speaking at a policy conference in Northern California, Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity for the spy agency, reiterated the agency's earlier position that the Chinese-owned social networking app is akin to a "loaded gun" that the Chinese government could use to influence what information Americans see. "Why would you bring the Trojan horse inside the fortress?" Joyce said at the conference. Joyce said China could use its influence on TikTok to suppress information that might make the nation look bad to Americans.His remarks echo earlier warnings by Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Chris...

26Mar

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Should the US ban TikTok? Can it? A cybersecurity expert explains the risks the app poses and the challenges to blocking it

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23, 2023, amid a chorus of calls from members of Congress for the federal government to ban the Chinese-owned video social media app and reports that the Biden administration is pushing for the company's sale.The federal government, along with many state and foreign governments and some companies, has banned TikTok on work-provided phones. This type of ban can be effective for protecting data related to government work. But a full ban of the app is another matter, which raises a number of questions: What data privacy risk does TikTok pose? What could the Chinese government do with data collected by the app? Is its content recommendation algorithm dangerous? And is it even possible to ban an app? V...

26Mar

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Apple enjoys ‘symbiotic’ relationship with China, Tim Cook says

Apple enjoys a "symbiotic" relationship with China, CEO Tim Cook said on Saturday, as the iPhone giant looks to move production out of the country.Cook, who is in China to attend the high-profile China Development Forum, said "Apple and China grew together," during an interview on the role of technology in education. "This has been a symbiotic kind of relationship that I think we both enjoyed," he said at the state-run event attended by top government officials and corporate leaders. Cook's visit comes as Apple, the world's biggest company by market value, is trying to move production out of China.Last year, Apple sales were hit by curtailed production at factories as a result of China's zero-Covid policy.US export controls on high-tech components are also threatening the company's sup...

22Mar

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SHOCKING! Google BANS these Chinese apps designed to spy on users; says delete now

In a shock move, Google banned several apps developed by the Chinese ecommerce platform Pinduoduo on Tuesday, March 21. Google said that the ban was handed down after malicious behavior was detected. Later, these Chinese apps were flagged as malware and it was reported that they were tracking users who had installed them on their gadgets. Google also sent out a notification to all the users who had installed these apps asking them to delete them immediately. This comes after multiple Chinese security researchers have claimed that Pinduoduo is making Android apps which can monitor users.Ed Fernandez, a Google spokesperson, revealed, “Off-Play versions of this app that have been found to contain malware have been enforced on via Google Play Protect”. For the unaware, Off-Play apps refer...

21Mar

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Baidu’s Ernie bot writes poems but says it has insufficient information on Xi, tests show

Baidu's Ernie bot can within seconds generate pictures of flowers and write Tang dynasty-style poems but will decline questions about Chinese President Xi Jinping by saying it has not yet learnt how to answer them, Reuters tests showed.The Chinese search engine giant last week unveiled China's closest rival to OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT and from Thursday allowed users to apply for access to it. Some analysts and users soon began posting positive reviews of their experiences with Ernie bot, and side-by-side comparisons with ChatGPT, that drove Baidu's share price higher. Still, there have been questions about how Ernie and other Chinese chatbots in development would treat topics that are sensitive in mainland China, where authorities tightly censor the internet.Tests by Reuters of ChatG...

21Mar

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Factbox – Ernie vs ChatGPT on global leaders

Baidu's unveiling of its Ernie bot last week thrust the Chinese search engine giant into a race against global tech peers Microsoft and Google who are also building powerful artificial intelligence-driven chatbots and products.Questions had remained over how Ernie and other Chinese chatbots in development would treat topics that are sensitive in mainland China, where authorities tightly censor the internet. Reuters' tests of ChatGPT indicated that the Microsoft-backed chatbot is not averse to answering such questions. Baidu last Thursday allowed users to apply for invitation codes to access Ernie, and Reuters tests on Monday showed it will decline questions about Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying it has not yet learnt to answer.These were some of the summarized answers to questions...

18Mar

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China appeals for fair treatment after latest TikTok bans

China appealed Friday to other governments to treat its companies fairly after Britain and New Zealand joined the United States in restricting use of TikTok due to fears the Chinese-owned short video service might be a security risk.Governments are worried TikTok's owner, ByteDance, might give browsing history or other data about users to China's government or promote propaganda and disinformation. “We call on the countries concerned to recognize the objective facts, effectively respect the market economy” and provide “a non-discriminatory environment" for all companies, said foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. TikTok is one focus of conflicts between China and other governments over technology and security that are disrupting processor chip, smartphone and other industries.Leg...

17Mar

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One billion users, but trouble mounts for TikTok

TikTok's breakneck rise from niche video-sharing app to global social media behemoth has brought plenty of scrutiny, particularly over its links to China.Several governments have banned the app from their equipment over fears that data could be viewed by officials in Beijing, and the United States is now trying to force Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell its prized asset. So is TikTok a spying tool for Beijing, a fun video-sharing app, or both? - Under pressure - Global action against TikTok kicked off in earnest in India in 2020.It was among the Chinese apps barred after deadly clashes on the border between India and China, with New Delhi saying it was defending its sovereignty.The same year, US President Donald Trump threatened a ban and accused TikTok of spying for China, a...

14Mar

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Forget Comet ZTF, Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS could shine brighter than stars

Although Comets often make trips to Earth, the Comet ZTF which passed Earth last month was an extremely rare sight. It has a period of approximately 50000 years, meaning it was witnessed by Neanderthals the last time it passed by Earth. A comet also orbits the Sun, but unlike an asteroid, it's composed of ice and dust. When a comet gets close to the Sun, its ice and dust content start to vaporize. So, when seen in a telescope, a comet appears fuzzy and has a tail. Now just a month after its passing, it seems like Comet ZTF has become old news as a new Comet is expected to pass by Earth in 2024, and it could be a special one.Comet C/2023 A3 discoveryThe Comet, known as C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS), was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in South Af...

13Mar

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China uses TikTok for disinformation campaign in Taiwan

China uses influencers to spread disinformation in Taiwan through social media such as TikTok and YouTube, aimed at creating suspicion and sabotaging Taiwan-US relations, reported Taipei Times.However, a government official said that it is difficult for Taiwan to assign an agency to regulate online activities. In an effort to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from using TikTok to spread disinformation and threaten national security, the Cabinet late last year called for cross-ministerial meetings, but such meetings have not yet been held due to the Cabinet reshuffle this year, the government official said on condition of anonymity, reported Taipei Times. The Cabinet led by former premier Su Tseng-chang banned the use of short video platform Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTo...