Anyone in tune with contemporary technology, video production, or simply any individual with the basic ability to utilize modern social media is aware of the app called Tik Tok. After being created in 2016 and becoming widely popular several years later, the platform which features video content ranging from mere seconds to several minutes has begun to become the subject of national security discussions. The app is owned by the parent company ByteDance, a Chinese firm. In recent years, the communist government in Beijing has increased its totalitarian grip on its citizens, tightening oversight and regulations surrounding technology and data. In response, some governing bodies in the United States are taking action. On Thursday, August 17th a representative for the municipal government of New York City confirmed that the largest city in America has implemented a policy that effectively bans city employees from using the Tik Tok app.
City workers have thirty days to remove the app from any device owned by the city government. The purpose of the ban is to promote data security and protection to mitigate any security risks Tik Tok may pose. Three years ago, the state government of the Empire state imposed a ban on the app in a similar fashion. Unsurprisingly, the parent company of Tik Tok (ByteDance), gave the communist government complete and total access to all data collected on the app. U.S. officials across the nation worry that the app could be used as a method of spying by the Chinese government.
Earlier in the year in the month of May, the New York Post reported that a lawsuit in California alleged that the CCP, or the Chinese Communist Party had total control over data stored on Tik Tok. A former employee of ByteDance, the head of engineering named Yintao Yu claimed he was terminated from his position after daring to question the actions of the company in association with the government.
