Is TikTok monitored by China?

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: The FBI says the video-sharing app TikTok poses national security concerns. The app is owned by the company ByteDance, headquartered in Beijing. And FBI Director Chris Wray told lawmakers yesterday that the Chinese government could use the app to influence users or control their devices.

npr.org - FBI says China could use TikTok to spy on Americans, including ... - NPR

Is social work a stressful job?

Social workers have one of the highest risk jobs for chronic stress and burnout among healthcare professionals, especially when workloads are high...

Last updated Aug 30, 2021

At what age do kids become athletic?

Around ages 11-15, the kids who have developed general athleticism through participation in multiple sports and developed explosive speed and...

Last updated Apr 22, 2019

Promotion

GOP Sen. Marco Rubio introduced a bill that would ban TikTok. NPR's A Martinez talks to Aynne Kokas, professor of media studies and the director of the East Asia Center at the University of Virginia.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

The FBI says the video-sharing app TikTok poses national security concerns. The app is owned by the company ByteDance, headquartered in Beijing. And FBI Director Chris Wray told lawmakers yesterday that the Chinese government could use the app to influence users or control their devices. Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has introduced a bill that would ban the app nationwide. We're going to turn to Aynne Kokas. She's professor of media studies and the director of the East Asia Center at the University of Virginia. Her new book is "Trafficking Data: How China Is Winning The Battle For Digital Sovereignty." Professor, TikTok, I think everyone knows you get viral videos, funny ones at that. But tell us about what more TikTok is used for and who uses it. AYNNE KOKAS: So TikTok has a wide range of uses. Users under the age of 30 are - have used that as a platform for gaining political knowledge. We also see this is a site where people actually use it to search for information about the world. So in addition to it being an entertainment platform, it's also become a form of critical communications infrastructure.

MARTÍNEZ: All right. Now, as we heard, FBI Director Chris Wray and Senator Marco Rubio are among those who say that the Chinese Communist Party could use TikTok to spy on Americans, including government workers. TikTok says, no. It's not happening. But, professor, how would that work? How could the app be used as a spying tool?

KOKAS: So what's really interesting about TikTok is that it's part of a larger Chinese government effort to expand extraterritorial control over digital platforms. So the Chinese government has allowed for and has encouraged Chinese firms to actually engage in national security data audits of any data that's being gathered by a Chinese firm. Now, TikTok, which has a parent company in ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, is subject to those same national security data audits because it shares data with its parent company, ByteDance.

MARTÍNEZ: So the Chinese government really believes that this digital space is actually territory that, I guess, for lack of a better word, could be conquered?

Is 10k a month good?

Yes, most people would consider $10,000 a month to be a good income. If you earn $10,000 a month, your gross income will be $120,000 a year. For...

Last updated Jul 5, 2021

How can I make money with social?

There are three ways you can use your social media channels to make money: brand promotion, affiliate marketing and creating online resources. Apr...

Last updated Apr 25, 2021

Promotion

KOKAS: Absolutely. And so this is something that's been very clearly articulated time and time again from the 2010 white paper on the internet in China all the way to the 2020 Hong Kong national security law, which allows oversight of national security interests outside of China.

MARTÍNEZ: Wow. Now, Americans use a number of apps owned by Chinese companies. WeChat, that's one that I can think of. Does it make sense, professor, to ban one app and maybe leave the others alone?

KOKAS: So this is where the challenge with the Rubio bill comes out. When we look at all of these wide-ranging apps that are connected to Chinese firms, it's actually almost nonsensical to ban just one when we see platforms in areas like precision agriculture, communications, gaming all connected to Chinese firms. So it's really important to develop more robust data privacy regulations in the United States to protect users.

MARTÍNEZ: OK. So banning, then, you would think, is maybe not the correct move altogether?

KOKAS: Essentially, it's playing a game of whack-a-mole as we see this expansion of China's digital territory. MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's Aynne Kokas. She's the director of the East Asia Center at the University of Virginia. Her new book is called "Trafficking Data: How China Is Winning The Battle For Digital Sovereignty." Professor, thanks.

KOKAS: Thank you so much.

(SOUNDBITE OF DUSTY TRAILS' "CONGA STYLE")

Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

npr.org - FBI says China could use TikTok to spy on Americans, including ... - NPR

Is it hard to get published?

When seeking a publisher, you are facing an uphill battle. Thousands of hopefuls send their novels to publishers per week, and the majority get...

Last updated Jun 19, 2018

How to become an influencer?

7 Steps to Becoming a Social Media Influencer: Select Your Niche. Optimize Your Social Media Profiles. Understand Your Audience. Create and Post...

Last updated Aug 27, 2019

Promotion

What are some social media challenges?

Top 21 Social Media Challenges Social media Challenges #1 – Doodle Challenge. Social media Challenges # 2 – Don't Rush Challenge. Social media...

Last updated Mar 1, 2019

Promotion

Are introvert girls loyal?

They are loyal Introverts are extremely loyal by nature. They cherish their relationships and invest in them socially, emotionally and financially...

Last updated Jun 16, 2021