FCC Commissioner urges Google and Apple to remove TikTok

Federal authorities issue new warnings to Apple and Google to remove China-based app TikTok from the app I urged the technology giant. Store. In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google's parent company Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr said on Buzzfeed News about "a serious national security threat posed by TikTok." Quoted a new report from.

A report analyzing audio leaked from over 80 internal TikTok meetings revealed that employees of TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, had access to private data about TikTok users in the United States. rice field. In 2021, TikTok executive Michael Beckerman testified before Congress that "TikTok actually collects less data than many of its peers."

However, according to the BuzzFeedreport, Beijing's ByteDance employees repeatedly access sensitive data collected by TikTok from Americans who downloaded the app, allowing users to create, share, and share short videos. You can react. According to BuzzFeed, members of TikTok's Trust and Safety division said at a meeting in September that

"everything can be seen in China."

Carr can't force either Apple or Google to remove free apps from the store, but "Apple and Google are safe and reliable places to download apps. I'm proud to run an app store. " According to statistics, the app was downloaded 19 million times from these two app stores in the first quarter of 2022 alone, Kerr said.

"It is clear that TikTok poses unacceptable national security risks as its extensive data is combined with Beijing's apparently unchecked access to that data." He said. TikTok's "Behavioral patterns and misrepresentations that Beijing people have free access to sensitive US user data" will make social media platforms inconsistent with Apple and Google policies.

President Donald Trump tried to ban the app by presidential order, but was immediately challenged in court. President Joe Biden replaced the failed ban in June 2021 with a new presidential order,, government reviews of foreign-owned apps, and they pose a security risk. I asked if I would bring it.

The Byden administration said, "We will not share these values ​​and promote digital technology and American data in a way that poses unacceptable national security risks while promoting authoritative controls and interests. We have selected China as an example of the country we are trying to leverage. ""

Other lawmakers have also called on Tik Tok to take responsibility. After the BuzzFeed report was released, Republican Senators Roger Wicker and Tom Cotton wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and the Biden administration I asked "why the response was delayed in the national security investigation". Privacy risk posed by TikTok. Four other Republicans signed the letter.

Wicker also joined Senator Marsha Blackburn and othersin a second letterto TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Monday, reporting BuzzFeed and Becker. I quoted Mann's previous testimony. 

"In light of these reports, I am very concerned that the TikTok representative did not provide the Senate Commerce Committee with a true answer at the Sub-Committee hearing. "The letter states. "TikTok now seems to be taking steps to evade unknown misrepresentations by changing the way it protects. Employees can access the data."

This group We asked the CEO of TikTok questions such as "Is it true that TikTok employees in China had access to US data now or in the past?" There are also questions about the app's algorithms and the involvement of the Chinese government. 

Earlier this year, the state prosecutor's chief spoke on TikTokand the possible harmful effects it could have on the mental health of young usersnationwide. The investigation has started. A very popular video platform. Surveys by many states led by California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont.

In response to BuzzFeed's report and questions from lawmakers, a TikTok spokeswoman said the company "addresses concerns about access to US user data by employees outside the US." We are doing exactly what we are doing. "

"We've been clear and vocal about working in this area to address both location and access to data. We are now able to route 100% of US user traffic to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. We are pleased, and we continue to work on additional safeguards against US data to improve community security. "

A TikTok spokesperson also said, "We are happy to work with lawmakers to keep track of BuzzFeed's misleading reports," and "our engineers outside the United States, including China." We maintain it consistently. " Under these strict controls, you can grant access to US user data as needed.

Caitlin O'Kane

Caitlin O'Kane is CBS News and its leading news brandThe Uplift