The federal government, along with many state and foreign governments and some companies, banned TikTok on available phones. This type of ban can be effective in protecting data related to government work.
But the complete ban of the application is another matter, which raises several questions: What data privacy risks does TikTok pose? What can the Chinese government do about the data collected by these apps? Are content recommendation algorithms dangerous? And is it even possible to ban the app?
Delete data
As a cybersecurity researcher, I have noted that every few years a new mobile application that becomes popular raises security, privacy and data access issues.
Applications collect data for several reasons. Sometimes the data is used to improve the application for the user. However, most applications collect data that companies use in part to finance their operations. This revenue usually comes from targeting users with ads based on collected data. The question raised by using this data is: Does the app need all this data? What to do with the data? And how to protect data from others?
So what makes TikTok different from Pokemon-GO, Facebook or even your own phone? TikTok’s privacy policy, which few people read, is a good place to start. Overall, the company is not transparent about these practices. The document is too long to list all the data collected here, which should be a warning.
There are several interesting items in TikTok’s privacy policy in addition to the information provided when creating an account – name, age, username, password, language, email, phone number, social media account information and profile picture – related. This information includes location data, data from the clipboard, contact information, website browsing, plus all data sent and messages sent through the app. The company said the current version of the app does not collect GPS information from US users. There is speculation that TikTok collects more information, but it is difficult to prove.
If most apps collect data, why is the US government worried about TikTok? First, they are concerned about the Chinese government accessing data from 150 million users in the U.S. There are also concerns about the algorithm TikTok uses to share content.
Data in the hands of the Chinese government
If the data is in the hands of the Chinese government, the question is how they can use it to their advantage. The government can share with other companies in China to help them make profits, which is no different than US companies sharing marketing data. The Chinese government is known for playing the long game, and data is power, so if it collects data, it will take years to learn China’s advantage.
One potential threat is that the Chinese government uses this data to spy on people, especially people with access to sensitive information. The Justice Department is investigating TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, for using the app to surveil US journalists. The Chinese government has an extensive history of hacking US government agencies and companies, and much of the hacking has been facilitated by social engineering – the practice of using data about people to trick them into revealing more information.
The second problem the US government raises is algorithmic bias or algorithmic manipulation. TikTok and most social media apps have algorithms designed to learn user interests and then try to adjust content so that users will continue to use the app. TikTok hasn’t shared its algorithm yet, so it’s unclear how the app selects user content.
These algorithms can be biased in ways that can influence the population to believe certain things. There have been many accusations that the TiKTok algorithm is biased and can reinforce negative thoughts among younger users, and is used to influence public opinion. It is possible that the algorithm’s manipulative behavior is unintentional, but there are concerns that the Chinese government has used or may use the algorithm to influence people.
Can the government ban apps?
If the federal government comes to the conclusion that TikTok should be banned, can it be banned for all 150 million existing users? Any such restrictions would begin by blocking the distribution of apps through the Apple and Google app stores. This may keep many users off the platform, but there are other ways to download and install apps for those who want to use them.
A more drastic method would be to force Apple and Google to change their phones so that TikTok doesn’t work. While I am not a lawyer, I think this effort will fail due to legal challenges, which include First Amendment issues. The bottom line is that an absolute ban would be difficult to enforce.
There are also questions about the effectiveness of the ban even if it works. According to some estimates, the Chinese government has collected personal information on at least 80% of the US population through various means. So bans can limit the damage to some degree, but the Chinese government has collected a lot of data. The Chinese government also has access — along with other moneyed people — to a huge market for personal data, which has encouraged stronger data privacy rules.
Are you at risk?
So as an average user, should you be worried? Again, it is not clear what data ByteDance collects and if it can harm individuals. I believe the most important risk is for people who have power, whether it is political power or in companies. Such data and information may be used to gain access to other data or potentially compromise the organization to which it relates.
The aspect of TikTok that I like the most is the algorithm that decides what videos users see and how it affects vulnerable groups, especially young people. Free from restrictions, families need to have a conversation about TikTok and other social media platforms and how they can harm their mental health. The conversation should focus on how to determine if the app is leading you down an unhealthy path.
Doug Jacobson is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.