Tik Tok has caused a lot of controversy over the last couple of months, to the point where some states are even considering banning the app and are proposing new laws and regulations in order to prohibit people from using it. Tik Tok is a popular app which people use in order to make videos about absolutely anything while following app guidelines. This doesn’t necessarily seem to be the issue, the major allegations that are persuading people to take action and take this up to the legislation is the Byte Dance, which is improper access to personal information of several US citizens. This just explains how the Chinese Government may have access to sensitive data users if he ever gets the information placed into his hands. As if we haven’t seen other apps come up with similar guidelines and policies such as Tik Tok, why is it a threat and a crime now? I believe there are several ways we can go about this act, and some of the solutions being represented all lie within the decision of the states because while it may be a threat to others, it is a source of entertainment for the people.
Jaylynn Alvarado
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I think this concern about TikTok is interesting because of how information flows in the context of the app. In comparison, Instagram and Twitter which were platforms that encouraged expression have become incredibly impersonal and with clear agendas and an emphasis on pushing advertisement and increasing purchases. Many people view TikTok as more authentic and rely on it for information about social movements, protests, and general awareness. While there have definitely been claims regarding “shadow banning”, its limited funding for creators means that (barring big influencers) those who are on it are there to interact and communicate with an audience and nothing more. I wonder if that might be seen as a threat to those in power.
As mentioned in the comment before mine, TikTok has become an app that connects people either through the app or as far as other social media platforms. Maybe at first when the app transition from Musical.ly to TikTok it would be consider more entertainment based, but now that its been years since that change and the app has been updated, I think that the threat that this app (in the eyes of the States) brings is the fact that it connects people and gives information/news of what is happening all over the world. That’s a threat to governments/states because that means that more people can see the bad things that are being done and allows people to actually do something to make a change and governments don’t want to change especially when it tampers with the power that they have and don’t want to let go of.
I agree with Marlha on this one. I think the problem that the government sees in TikTok is that it exposes many issues in the U.S. that the mainstream media do not disclose. I am assured that the U.S. government sees this as a more significant threat than any “sensitive data.” I also think that worrying about sensitive data through TikTok is comical. I believe that once we share any information online, there is no such thing as privacy anymore. At the same time, we deliberately share our data on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and even commenting on this website requires my name and email address.
I think at this point TikTok is much more than just an entertainment platform. It connects people from around the world in ways that hadn’t been done to this scale before. TikTok additionally serves as a learning tool and news outlet for individuals, among other things. We find solutions/ hacks for everyday problems, learn about US politics and its current state, learn about world news, and learn new information that we would not have otherwise been exposed to. Obviously, it shouldn’t be the only tool used for news but it is good as an initial exposure to things going on in our world. I think America has issues with this platform, not because of the sensitive data, but because it makes its inhabitants more aware of what is going on in their country. It means that individuals are more likely to stand up and band together for issues they believe are not being handled correctly by our government.