Recently TikTok basically confirmed they are sending US citizens’ data abroad. Yes, it’s “only” from creators but it still goes against their previous statement of not storing any user data in China.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandralevine/2023/06/21/tiktok-confirms-data-china-bytedance-security-cfius/?sh=5b9082b63270

This was in response to evidence surfacing that TikTok is giving China access to user data.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/08/tech/tiktok-data-china/index.html

Yes, the evidence is a little thin. Saying they have been “caught” might have been a bit overzealous on my part. But there was a leaked audio recording where TikTok employees talked about how US user data can be accessed by China before that.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emilybakerwhite/tiktok-tapes-us-user-data-china-bytedance-access

In 2020 TikTok acknowledged that their protocols aren’t protecting the user data sufficiently. This was in response to an investigation by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States in 2019.

https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/our-approach-to-security

So even though “caught” might have been overzealous, there has been plenty of evidence dating back to 2020 or maybe even before that, that supports the claim of TikTok sending user data illegally to China. Either by actually sending it or by giving the engineers from China access to the data.

Why sending Data abroad is an issue has multiple reasons. The first is that each country has its own privacy laws. You can only do certain information with the Data, certain Data can only be stored for a short period of time, others can’t be stored at all. Again, as a European citizen, I have the right to have my data deleted. But that’s pointless if a copy of my data exists in China where the EU has no authority.

Calling for legislation on data brokers isn’t stopping TikTok, these legislations exist already. There are rules and protocols on how and which data can be sent abroad. TikTok isn’t compliant with that.

Then there is the issue of national security. And that’s why China doing this is deemed more dangerous than other western countries because China is a potential hostile nation. You just need to take a look at how social media is a security risk in Ukraine for both the Ukrainians and the Russians. Having a foreign nation access to more extensive data than what is publicly shared is even worse. For example, tracking user Data of key military and government personnel gives them a much easier time on creating a profile. Hence banning TikTok on government phones. If Google or another domestic company does this kind of stuff then the information is at least not in potential hostile hands. And further, the US has the authority and capability to do something against it if the data were used in a hostile manner. They can seize the servers, arrest key personnel, etc. They can’t do that with Chinese nationals living in China.