It’s no secret that foreign governments are getting more and more involved in our day-to-day lives. Whether it’s through online surveillance and tracking or other means, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to protect ourselves from their watchful eyes.
Unfortunately, it seems that even popular social media applications, like TikTok, are not immune. Recently, it was discovered that the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, was using the app’s data to “spy” on American journalists.
This is an alarming development that should be taken seriously by all Americans who rely on social media to communicate with family and friends.
At a recent House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting, TikTok CEO Shou Chew was asked whether the company had the ability to target more Americans with similar surveillance techniques. Chew dodged the question and instead tried to characterize the tracking as something other than “spying.”
This is not acceptable. We have a right to know if our data is being used by foreign governments for any purpose, and if so, what measures are in place to protect us.
As if this wasn’t concerning enough, the Biden administration is looking into forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok or else face a nationwide ban due to national security concerns.
It’s clear that the government understands the gravity of the situation, but what happens if the app isn’t sold? Will the tracking stop? Will our data still be at risk?
These are questions we all need to be asking, and we need to hold ByteDance and TikTok accountable for any and all surveillance activities.
No American should ever have to worry about their data being used by foreign governments for any purpose. We have a right to privacy, and it’s time for companies like ByteDance and TikTok to take that seriously.
"TikTok spied on American journalists. Can you say with 100% certainty that neither ByteDance, nor TikTok employees, can target other Americans with similar surveillance?"
TikTok CEO: "I disagree with the characterization that it was 'spying.'" pic.twitter.com/EjWPzuvcec
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 23, 2023
It’s time to draw a line in the sand and make sure that our data is safe from any and all foreign entities. We mustn’t let them have free reign to spy on us and use our data for their own gain.
