Tag: TikTok us

TikTok Could Get a Lifeline From Big Tech as a US Ban Looms
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TikTok Could Get a Lifeline From Big Tech as a US Ban Looms

[ad_1] US tech companies are pushing to narrow the scope of legislation that could ban TikTok in the US, creating new obstacles as the Biden administration seeks to confront China's influence.The Information Technology Industry Council, which represents companies including International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc., is among groups lobbying to narrow the legislation, according to people familiar with those conversations who asked not to be named discussing the politically sensitive issue. Companies that make both hardware and software are worried they could become ensnared by a Senate bill that's been gaining momentum and is aimed at TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app, the people said. The fierceness of the opposition may close down an opportunity for the Bid...
TikTok represents ‘strategic’ challenge, says top US cyber official
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TikTok represents ‘strategic’ challenge, says top US cyber official

[ad_1] 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...
TikTok’s CEO Is Set to Enter a Washington Fight He Can’t Win
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TikTok’s CEO Is Set to Enter a Washington Fight He Can’t Win

[ad_1] TikTok's ownership by a Chinese company, and the national security risk that could pose to the viral video app's users, have drawn most of the attention ahead of the CEO's testimony to Congress. But Chief Executive Officer Shou Chew is prepared for a variety of questions, including about kids' mental health, from a House committee Thursday.The mobile app's 150 million users in the US and the strength of its content-recommendation engine mean any infraction is viewed as a potential societal threat. Lawmakers have spent the better part of this year warning about the risks posed by a platform intended for short, often silly videos. In Thursday's US House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, they'll have one person at whom they can direct those fears. Here's what you need to know....
TikTok Considers Splitting From ByteDance If Deal With US Fails
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TikTok Considers Splitting From ByteDance If Deal With US Fails

[ad_1] TikTok's leadership is discussing the possibility of separating from ByteDance Ltd., its Chinese parent company, to help address concerns about national security risks.A divestiture, which could result in a sale or initial public offering, is considered a last resort, to be pursued only if the company's existing proposal with national security officials doesn't get approved, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing non-public information. Even then, the Chinese government would have to agree to such a transaction, the people said. TikTok's US business could be valued at $40 billion to $50 billion based on social media multiples and other factors, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Mandeep Singh and Damian Reimertz. TikTok ...
TikTok Could Control Data and Divide Americans, FBI’s Wray Says
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TikTok Could Control Data and Divide Americans, FBI’s Wray Says

[ad_1] FBI Director Christopher Wray said TikTok could be used to control data and software on millions of devices in the US and drive narratives to divide Americans while even intelligence agencies might miss manipulation by the Chinese-owned video app.“We're not sure that we would see many of the outward signs of it happening if it was happening,” Wray said Wednesday. “This is a tool that is ultimately within the control of the Chinese government and to me it screams out with national security concerns.” Wray responded to questions from Republican Senator Marco Rubio during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on the annual report on worldwide threats from US intelligence agencies. Rubio called TikTok, the popular app owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., “one of the most valuabl...
Death by a thousand cuts’: U.S. TikTok bans gain ground
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Death by a thousand cuts’: U.S. TikTok bans gain ground

[ad_1] Soon after Texas university students returned to classes in January, they received a note from the IT department informing them of a new rule: they could no longer access TikTok, the popular video app, on university Wi-Fi. Students had mixed feelings. "There are legitimate security concerns with the app," said Adam Nguyen, a 19-year-old computer science major at the University of Texas at Austin. "But people should be able to make their own decisions - this sets a dangerous precedent with the university deciding what sorts of things you can do on the network," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The move comes as part of a swirl of efforts to limit the use of TikTok - which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance - in the United States, over fears that U.S. user data co...
TikTok CEO Says ‘Project Texas’ to Allay US Security Concern
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TikTok CEO Says ‘Project Texas’ to Allay US Security Concern

[ad_1] Hit video app TikTok is investing heavily to address US concerns about its data security and anticipates being able to deliver a satisfactory solution with partner Oracle Corp. Hit video app TikTok is investing heavily to address US concerns about its data security and anticipates being able to deliver a satisfactory solution with partner Oracle Corp.TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew said the company is working on an effort, called Project Texas, that will isolate sensitive data from its American users so that only staff in the US will have access. He called the effort “extremely difficult and expensive to build,” but aimed at the concerns of American officials.  “It's unprecedented. No company has attempted this,” Chew said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singa...
After Row, TikTok Says Never Been Used to Target US Individuals
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After Row, TikTok Says Never Been Used to Target US Individuals

[ad_1] TikTok said it has never been used to “target” any members of the US government, activists, public figures or journalists. TikTok said it has never been used to “target” any members of the US government, activists, public figures or journalists, after Forbes reported that its parent ByteDance planned to use the app to track particular individuals. TikTok “does not collect precise GPS location information from US users, meaning TikTok could not monitor US users in the way the article suggested”, the platform added in a series of tweets. [ad_2] Source link