According to CNBC, an executive from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has asked Apple and Google to remove the short video platform TikTok from the app stores due to security concerns. In the past, the popular app owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance has also faced strict scrutiny by the administration of former US President Donald Trump.
Specifically, Brendan Carr, an FCC commissioner, shared on his personal Twitter page a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. In it, he stated that TikTok did not comply with the policies of both Apple and Google.
“TikTok is not what it seems. It is not just a funny meme or video sharing application, but a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. Essentially, TikTok acts as a sophisticated surveillance tool and collects large amounts of sensitive personal data,” Carr asserted.
In his letter, Brendan Carr also said that if Apple and Alphabet do not remove TikTok from the app stores, both corporations will have to give a reasonable explanation by July 8.
“Statements must explain that TikTok’s access to user data and patterns and misleading behavior do not violate any company policies,” Carr stressed. Previously, in 2018, this leader was proposed by former President Donald Trump to join the FCC for a 5-year term.
Alphabet, Apple and TikTok were not immediately available for comment.
Earlier this month, Carr also cited a BuzzFeed News report that said Chinese engineers accessed US user data between September 2021 and January 2022.
The report also includes a statement from a TikTok spokesperson: “We know TikTok is one of the most scrutinized platforms for privacy, and we always want to remove any doubt about its integrity. security of US user data. That’s why we’ve hired American experts, consistently verified security standards, and partnered with many reputable, independent third parties.”
Previously, in 2019, the US Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) began investigating TikTok for the issue of collecting user data. A year later, former US President Donald Trump threatened to ban TikTok from operating in the country due to concerns that US user data could be easily accessed in China. However, TikTok has repeatedly insisted that it never shares user data and will not do so even when asked.
In 2021, TikTok is the most downloaded application and owns more than a billion users globally. In addition, with revenue of nearly 4 billion USD last year, mainly from advertising and expected to reach 12 billion USD this year, the scale of TikTok is increasingly expanding, even equal to the social networking platform Twitter and Snap combined, just three years after it started ramping up advertising.
US wants Apple and Google to remove TikTok from app stores
In addition, TikTok is also encroaching into the field of e-commerce – an ambition that is gradually blurring the lines between social networks and online shopping applications. This video-sharing platform accordingly allows sellers to set up digital stores in the UK, Indonesia and Thailand. Millions of users will be able to purchase products directly from the app, without resorting to traditional e-commerce platforms. This expansion is said to be one of the factors that makes US officials afraid.
Source: CafeF
Source: Vietnam Insider