A legal battle is underway over a law passed by Congress that could potentially result in a ban of TikTok in the United States, raising concerns about whether the popular social media platform is being used to manipulate American audiences on behalf of the Chinese government. The Justice Department and U.S. intelligence officials acknowledge a lack of direct evidence of such manipulation but express concerns about the potential risk. Academic studies suggest TikTok may be biased towards Chinese government views, with an analysis indicating deep ties between the company and Chinese propaganda entities.
TikTok has contested the studies, claiming they are flawed. The platform’s impending ban has sparked bipartisan support in Congress due to concerns over national security risks posed by TikTok’s relationship with China. The legislation gives ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, 270 days to divest TikTok, or face restrictions. TikTok has taken legal action to challenge the law on the basis of free speech.
American officials argue that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government for malign foreign influence and data collection purposes, even though there is no evidence of this to date. Concerns are raised over the risk of content manipulation to benefit China. TikTok, however, maintains that it does not share data with the Chinese government and adheres to local laws. The dispute highlights the complex relationship between tech companies, national security, free speech, and foreign influence.
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