SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Time could be ticking down for TikTok, the popular video-sharing app, as Congress considers banning the app due to its data privacy concerns.
TikTok has over 150 million users in the United States sending data to 1 server location within the US and one location in Singapore. The App is owned by the Chinese business “Byte Dance”
With so much confusion on what is happening Representative Jeff Jackson uses the app to help reach his constituents, providing context for what is happening in D.C.
In a recent video, Rep Jackson used the platform to explain what was happening saying, “It’s been Congress’s failure to pass a data privacy law, which it should have passed years ago that’s gotten us into this situation. And this week, TikTok became the symbol for a lot of general concern.”
The concerns coming from Congress revolve around a Chinese law that was passed six years ago allowing Chinese Intelligence to request data of users and the company not inform the users that data has been collected.
Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who is the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has stated the following statements over the course of the hearing:
- “There is an immediate threat via TikTok from the Chinese Communist Party”
- “TikTok collects nearly every data point imaginable, from people’s location, to what they type and copy, who they talk to, biometric data, and more.”
- “Your platform should be banned”
TikTok CEO Zi Chew was the one being questioned during the hearing and took time to respond to the criticism from US Lawmakers.
“The bottom line is this American data stored on American soil by an American company overseen by American personnel,” said Chew.
Congress plans to continue to attempt to ban the app through legislation, experts believe this will take a few months.
