TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to influence the US presidential election, according to a letter from the US Department of Justice. Prosecutors have expressed concerns that TikTok's algorithm could be used to conduct disinformation campaigns aimed at influencing the views of Americans.
“Leaving TikTok in the hands of Chinese authorities would pose an unacceptable risk to national security,” the prosecutors wrote. “It would allow a foreign government to illegally interfere in our political system and discourse, including our elections,” they warned.
Department of Justice response
The Justice Department's position is in response to a federal lawsuit TikTok filed against the government. USA in May. The Chinese company tried to block the law, which could result in a nationwide ban on the app. As a result of the law signed in May by the president Joe Biden TikTok must find a new owner by mid-January 2025, or it will be banned entirely in the United States.
– For years we have allowed the Communist Party Chin control one of the most popular apps in America, which was dangerously shortsighted, said Marco Rubio, a leading Republican senator, just after Biden signed the bill. “The new law will require the Chinese owner to sell the app. It's a good move for America,” he said.
Justice officials have indicated that the Justice Department is concerned about efforts by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to “weaponize technology” such as apps and software that run on phones used in the U.S.
“These concerns are compounded when these autocratic governments require and force, as China does, companies under their control to secretly transfer confidential data to the Chinese government,” they noted.
TikTok lawsuit
In early May, TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance announced it had filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court seeking to block the unfavorable regulations. The lawsuit said divesting the business “is simply impossible.” “There is no question: the law will force TikTok to shut down on January 19, 2025, blocking access to the app for the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate,” it said.
TikTok has said it has not and will not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government. At the same time, app representatives have argued that a potential ban would undermine the free speech rights of millions of Americans who use TikTok.
TikTok's current owner has previously stressed that it is not a Chinese company, pointing out that 60 percent of its shares are in the hands of global investment firms.
The American Civil Liberties Union opposes the new law, citing free speech concerns. It says it could set a “troubling global precedent for excessive government control over social media.”
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