Whether You Are Banned or TikTok Is Banned – TikTok Isn’t Worth The Risk

A follow-up to “Tiktok Is Not A User Safe Space”

TikTok, the popular short-form video app, has faced a number of controversies and concerns over privacy and security in recent years. One of the main sources of these concerns is the fact that TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. The app was developed by the Chinese company ByteDance, which is based in Beijing and has a number of other subsidiaries and holdings. ByteDance was founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming, who remains the company’s CEO. TikTok was initially released in 2016 under the name Douyin in China, and later released internationally under the name TikTok in 2017. Since its release, TikTok has become extremely popular, particularly among young people. It has been downloaded more than 2 billion times worldwide, and it is estimated that there are more than 500 million active users on the app.

One of the main concerns about TikTok’s ownership is the fact that it is a company based in China which has a reputation for having a less stringent approach to data privacy than many other countries. In particular, the Chinese government has a long history of surveillance and censorship, and it has been known to use this power to monitor and control its citizens. There are also concerns about the extent to which Chinese companies may be required to cooperate with the Chinese government in matters of surveillance and data collection. This has led to concerns about the potential for TikTok to be used as a tool for the Chinese government to spy on and collect data on users outside of China.

In addition to these concerns about data privacy and government surveillance, there have also been concerns about the potential for TikTok to be used to spread misinformation and propaganda. TikTok has been accused of promoting content that is biased or misleading, and there are concerns about the app’s algorithm, which is designed to keep users on the app for as long as possible by showing them content that is tailored to their interests and preferences. There is also a concern of bias imposed on the platform by the companies being paid to moderate the platform. This has led to concerns about the potential for TikTok to be used to manipulate public opinion and spread propaganda, particularly in countries where the app is popular.

These concerns about data privacy and propaganda have led to calls for TikTok to be banned in various countries. In the United States, for example, President Donald Trump signed an executive order in August 2020 banning TikTok and another Chinese app, WeChat, citing national security concerns. The ban was set to go into effect on September 20, 2020, but it was blocked by a federal judge on the grounds that it violated the First Amendment. The ban has since been appealed, and the case is ongoing. In addition to the United States, other countries, including India and Australia, have also considered banning TikTok due to concerns about data privacy and security. This hasn’t prevented the app from being banned on government devices in many jurisdictions including the U.S. Congress.

Despite these concerns, TikTok has maintained that it is committed to user privacy and that it does not share user data with the Chinese government. The company has pointed out that it stores user data on servers located outside of China, and that it has implemented a number of measures to protect user privacy, including encrypted communications and data protection policies. TikTok has also stated that it follows all applicable laws and regulations in the countries where it operates.

Despite these assurances, however, many people remain skeptical about TikTok’s commitment to user privacy, particularly given the company’s Chinese ownership and the concerns about the Chinese government’s surveillance and censorship practices. The skepticism is supported by Tiktok settling class action lawsuits surrounding user privacy, out of court, which many see as an attempt to conceal the true extent of privacy violations.

With the increasing possibility of a creator account being deleted without notice or due process, and the likelihood that the platform will be banned or severely restricted in several countries, the risk of investing time and assets into developing a presence on TikTok outweighs the value in most cases, and businesses are seeking other platforms to minimize that risk.