China’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States itself of spreading disinformation about TikTok’s potential security risks following a report in the Wall Street Journal that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. — part of the Treasury Department — was threatening a U.S. ban on the app unless its Chinese owners divest their stake.
So are the data security risks real? And should users be worried that the TikTok app will be wiped off their phones?
Here’s what to know:
WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT TIKTOK?
Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share TikTok user data — such as browsing history, location and biometric identifiers — with China’s authoritarian government.
A law implemented by China in 2017 requires companies to give the government any personal data relevant to the country’s national security. There’s no evidence that TikTok has turned over such data, but fears abound due to the vast amount of user data it, like other social media companies, collects.
Concerns around TikTok were heightened in December when ByteDance said it fired four employees who accessed data on two journalists from Buzzfeed News and The Financial Times while attempting to track down the source of a leaked report about the company.
HOW IS THE U.S. RESPONDING?
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby declined to comment when asked to address the Chinese foreign ministry’s comments about TikTok, citing the review being conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment.
Esta historia es de la edición March 24, 2023 de AppleMagazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 24, 2023 de AppleMagazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
JAPAN'S NISSAN RESHUFFLES MANAGEMENT TO FIX ITS MONEY-LOSING BUSINESS
Embattled Japanese automaker Nissan has tapped Jeremie Papin, who was overseeing its U.S. operations, as its chief financial officer in a major management reshuffle billed as key to a turnaround.
AUSTRALIA PLANS TO TAX DIGITAL PLATFORMS THAT DON'T PAY FOR NEWS
The Australian government said it will tax large digital platforms and search engines unless they agree to share revenue with Australian news media organizations.
NEARLY HALF OF US TEENS ARE ONLINE 'CONSTANTLY,' PEW REPORT FINDS
Nearly half of American teenagers say they are online “constantly” despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health, according to a new report published by the Pew Research Center.
EPA AWARDS $135 MILLION TO CALIFORNIA TO PHASE OUT BIG DIESEL TRUCKS
The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $135 million in grants to fund 13 projects in California to help the state wean off fossil fuels and phase out big rigs that run on diesel.
MUSK SAYS US IS DEMANDING HE PAY PENALTY OVER DISCLOSURES OF HIS TWITTER STOCK PURCHASES
Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed or failed to disclose - about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022.
US HIKES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS OF CHINESE SOLAR WAFERS.POLYSILICON AND TUNGSTEN PRODUCTS
The Biden administration plans to raise tariffs on solar wafers, polysilicon and some tungsten products from China to protect U.S. clean energy businesses.
TECH TIP: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH ENCRYPTION
After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications.
OPENAI'S LEGAL BATTLE WITH ELON MUSK REVEALS INTERNAL TURMOIL OVER AVOIDING AI 'DICTATORSHIP'
A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence “dictatorship” is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing shift into a for-profit company.
A NEW NEUTRINO DETECTOR IN CHINA AIMS TO SPOT MYSTERIOUS GHOST PARTICLES LURKING AROUND US
Underneath a granite hill in southern China, a massive detector is nearly complete that will sniff out the mysterious ghost particles lurking around us.
ELON MUSK WANTS TO TURN SPACEX'S STARBASE SITE INTO A TEXAS CITY
SpaceX is launching a new mission: making its Starbase site a new Texas city.