Imposing a nationwide TikTok ban can be US lawmakers' only chance to restrict the app

While US lawmakers are reportedly gearing up to impose a nationwide ban on TikTok, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a slew of other users are taking to the video-sharing app to protest. On March 23, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The top executive faced grilling during the 5-hour US House committee hearing, but he spared no effort to avoid a possible ban on the company or forced sale. Apparently, the Biden administration is pushing for TikTok's sale. Members of Congress have been urging the federal government to ban TikTok over concerns the app might pose a security threat.

The US state of Utah recently passed a bill that bans users under 18 from setting up social media accounts without obtaining parental permission. The bill cites studies and reports that suggest Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and other social media apps have a negative impact on teenagers and children. Earlier this month, TikTok declared the app has a whopping 150 million monthly active users in the US.

For comparison, the short-video-sharing app had 100 million active users in the country back in 2020. A myriad of companies, foreign governments, and the federal government has banned the app on work-provided phones. This type of ban is usually imposed to protect government work-related data, according to a report by Gadget 360.

Does TikTok pose a data privacy risk?

The burning question is how the Chinese government is planning to use the data it collects from TikTok and what it could do with this information. It is unclear whether the app's content recommendation algorithm poses a risk. However, a cybersecurity researcher points out in the report that as soon as new mobile apps begin to gain popularity, people usually raise concerns over their data access, privacy, and security.

It is worth noting that apps collect data for multiple reasons. For instance, the data comes in handy for improving user experience. Most companies use this data to fund their operations as well. The developers usually generate revenue by showing users ads based on the data they collect. However, the use of data raises the following questions:

• Does an app need the data?
• How does it use the data?
• How does the app protect the users' data from others?

TikTok's privacy policy separates it from Facebook, Pokemon GO, and other similar apps. Regrettably, users do not usually read the app's privacy policy. According to the Gadgets 360 report, the company isn't transparent about its practices. Aside from the information a user provides while creating an account, TikTok collects a wide range of data, which is alarming.

When creating a TikTok account, a user has to provide details such as profile image, social media account information, phone number, email, language, password, age, name, and username. This information further includes website tracking, contact information, data from users' clipboards, and location data, along with the data user posts on the app and messages sent through the app.

According to the company, the latest version of TikTok does not collect GPS information from US-based users. During a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, Mr. Chew told Rep. Debbie Dingell that the company has collected GPS information from U.S. users "from back in 2020." The executive explained that there could be a small percentage of TikTok users still using the app's old versions, according to a Washington Times report.

How does the Chinese government use TikTok data?

The US government is understandably worried about the Chinese government getting its hands on the data from 150 million US-based TikTok users. Moreover, there's concern about how the company uses algorithms to show content. Details about how the Chinese government plans to use the gained data to its benefit are still scarce.

The government could share the data with other Chinese companies to help them profit, which is what even US companies do with marketing data as well. If the Chinese government is collecting the data, it could take several years to figure out how this information benefits the country. One of the potential threats includes the Chinese government using the data to spy on people to obtain valuable details.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is conducting an investigation into TikTok's parent company, ByteDance for spying on US journalists with the help of the app. The Chinese government has a reputation of hacking US corporations and government agencies by using social engineering. This method involves using data about users to make them share more pieces of vital information.

Can the government ban TikTok?

If the federal government decides to ban TikTok for all its users in the US, it could first block the app distribution on Apple Store and Google Play store. However, this isn't the only way to download and install an app. So, the government might force Apple and Google to prevent TikTok from running on their phones. This effort is also likely to fail due to First Amendment concerns and other legal challenges.

So, it is safe to assume that enforcing a nationwide ban on the app will be tough. According to some estimates, the Chinese government has already acquired the personal information of about 80 percent of the US population through different means. While the ban will restrict the damage to some extent, the Chinese government has already collected a lot of data.