How Do Russian Forces Are Fighting for Security? The Case of the Encyclopedia on the Counterattack against the Kremlin-Ukraine War

The company took action after learning that some employees had accessed user data in an unsuccessful attempt to find the source of a leak.

US officials are concerned that the Chinese government could force ByteDance to give up information that could be used for espionage or misinformation. Independent security experts have said that this type of access is a possibility, though there has been no reported incident of it yet.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, Ukrainian forces have shown resilience and have mounted more and more attacks on Kremlin forces. The conflict is entering an ominous phase of drone warfare. Russia has begun launching a series of recent attacks using Iranian “suicide drones” to inflict damage that is difficult to defend against. With Russian president Vladimir Putin escalating his rhetoric about the potential for a nuclear strike, and NATO officials watching closely for any signs of movement, we examine what indicators are available to the global community in assessing whether Russia is actually preparing to use nuclear weapons.

Researchers have raised the alarm that the platform isn’t getting the development resources that it needs anymore, and customers should consider migrating to cloud email hosting. A new research looks at how the custodians of the encyclopedia ferret out state sponsored misinformation.

If you’re worried about the ongoing threat of ransomware attacks around the world, researchers pointed out this week that middle-of-the-pack groups like the notorious gang Vice Society are maximizing profits and minimizing their exposure by investing very little in technical innovation. Instead, they simply run the most sparse and unremarkable operations they can to target under-funded sectors like health care and education. If you want to protect your personal information, we’ve got a guide to setting up passwords on both the internet and computers.

More on Cloud Misconfigurations: A Top-Third Report from the Ticktok-Bias Americas Data Security Roundup

But wait, there’s more! We highlight the news that we didn’t cover in-depth. Click on the headlines to see the full story. And stay safe out there.

Some prospective customers of Microsoft’s cloud services were exposed to the wrong data due to a misconfiguration. Researchers from the threat intelligence firm SOCRadar disclosed the leak to Microsoft on September 24, and the company quickly closed the exposure. SOCRadar said in a report that the exposed information stretched back to as far as 2017 and up to August of this year. The researchers linked the data to more than 65,000 organizations from 111 countries. Microsoft said the exposed details included names, company names, phone numbers, email addresses, email content, and files sent between potential customers and Microsoft or one of its authorized partners. Cloud misconfigurations are a longstanding security risk that have led to countless exposures and, sometimes, breaches.

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-bytedance-americans-data-security-roundup/

Do Internet of Things Security Labels Make a Difference? The U.S. Stands Up Against China’s Privacy Practices on Social Media and Technicolor

There are no easy answers to improve the longstanding security dumpster fire created by cheap, undefended internet of things devices in homes and businesses around the world. But after years of problems, countries like Singapore and Germany have found that adding security labels to internet-connected video cameras, printers, toothbrushes, and more. The labels give consumers a better understanding of the protections built into different devices—and give manufacturers an incentive to improve their practices and get a gold seal. This week, the United States took a step in this direction. The White House said that they were working on a labeling scheme for Internet of Things digital security. The administration held a summit with industry organizations and companies this week to discuss standards and guidelines for the labels. The National Security Council is in favor of a labeling program to ensure the security of such devices, as well as the incentives for manufacturers and retailers to sell them.

Sources told The Washington Post this week that sensitive information related to Iran‘s nuclear program and the United States’ own intelligence operations in China were included in documents seized by the FBI this summer at former President Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “Unauthorized disclosures of specific information in the documents would pose multiple risks, experts say. The Post said that collection methods could be compromised and that people aiding US intelligence efforts could be at risk. Other countries might retaliate against the US because of the information.

Some leading Democrats have also raised concerns over the years. There are real issues with TikTok in regards to privacy protections and its all-powerful formula which could have a huge impact in the public discourse on a number of subjects. Those types of concerns, however, are already being reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment. Republicans seem to be more interested in playing to their base when it comes to taking action.

The proposed legislation would “block and prohibit all transactions” in the United States by social media companies with at least one million monthly users that are based in, or under the “substantial influence” of, countries that are considered foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela.

South Dakota won’t be involved in the intelligence-gathering operations of nations who dislike them, Gov. Noem stated in a news release end of November. She said that the Chinese Communist Party gathered information on TikTok in order to manipulate the American people.

The app TikTok is unable to run in the US because of negotiations with the Committee on Foreign Investment. In December, the Wall Street Journal reported that the talks between the app and the government had stopped.

The Rise of TikTok in the 21st Century: How the USA Steps Towards an End-to-End Security Era

The plans that have been developed under the oversight of our country’s top national security agencies will be brief to members of congress by McQuaide.

A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. You can subscribe to the daily digest to keep up to date with the evolving media landscape.

Some public universities and government agencies have used the app, but at least 16 states are taking steps to prevent the use of the app in state government networks.

The Senate-passed bill would provide exceptions for “law enforcement activities, national security interests and activities, and security researchers.”

Berkman acknowledges that getting users off the app would be difficult. Last year, the app reported that more than a billion users flock to its site each month.

The administration embraced TikTok as a vital conduit to the public and its fear of the app as a potential tool of foreign influence was a fitting response to the unique problem that TikTok poses. It appears as if TikTok has succeeded in remakeping American culture both low and high from media and music to meme and celebrity in its own image. TikTok turned Olivia Rodrigo into a household name and propelled the author Colleen Hoover to the top of the best-seller list, with more copies sold this year than the Bible. TikTok coined “quiet quitting,” one of the hallmark phrases of 2022, and introduced a whole new dialect of algospeak — “seggs,” “unalive,” “le dollar bean” — that is now spreading across pop culture. Corporations and brands, from Goldfish crackers to Prada, have diverted billions of dollars of advertising to the platform in order to see that their product can be turned into a must-have item at any moment. TikTok had more site visits and time spent in the United States than did YouTube last year. It took Facebook nine years to reach one billion users, compared to five for TikTok.

Why is ByteDance an Agent of China? Commentary on the House Subsequences of the House Committee on Technology and Privacy

National security experts say businesses based in China usually have to allow unfettered access to the regime if information is ever sought.

So the ban on federal government devices is an incremental restriction: Most drastic measures have not advanced, since the efforts lacked the political will, or courts intervened to stop them.

There is no need to panic about TikTok. While some data concerns exist—though none more extreme than those over any US-based social media platforms—policies and discourse around TikTok in politics amount to a modern-day Red Scare. American politicians seem keen to point fingers at China for a lack of data security without holding a mirror up to themselves, as they keep allowing Big Tech lobbyists to quash any meaningful attempts at federal social media regulation. Without a federal ban on TikTok throughout the United States (which remains staunchly unlikely), it is impossible to put the app back in the proverbial Pandora’s box. These TikTok bans will hurt college classrooms more than they will help.

“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Zi Chew will say, according to written testimony released by the House committee on Tuesday night.

While social media companies are certainly collecting data about users, it’s not always true about what they know about individual users.

TikTok, Oberwetter said, has faith in the CFIUS process, which is centered on making sure the video app does not become manipulated by the influence of the Chinese government.

Another possible resolution is that the committee is satisfied with the steps TikTok has taken to ensure there is a firewall between U.S. user data and ByteDance employees in Beijing and the Chinese government.

CFIUS deliberations are famously secretive and happen behind closed doors. It is not clear when the committee might finish its investigation, nor is it known which way it is leaning.

Is ByteDance a Threat to Democracy? The U.S. Why China Shouldn’t Stop Talking about TikTok

At least 14 states have recently banned the application from being used on government devices; some state-run public universities followed suit, banning or blocking the app on their campuses.

Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country. However … you don’t simply have to take my word on that. To design robust solutions to address TikTok’s heritage, our approach has been to work together with the U.S. government and Oracle.

It is against the law for China to have anything to do with this newspaper. America wins when it can show the world that it is an open and democratic country, which is why we should not see that asymmetry as unfair. Not surprisingly, banning TikTok on the grounds that it’s a threat to our security won’t be seen by other nations as much different from the People’s Republic of China’s actions to protect itself. It is unclear if the federal government can prohibit access to a major communications platform, or if they can control online contents so as to not encourage the spread of misinformation. And then there’s the political question of whether TikTok’s estimated 100 million American fans will allow it to be taken away from them.

It makes sense for US soldiers to be told not to use the app because it might expose them to other people. “But that’s not the only thing that’s true of the weather app and all the other apps in your phone, whether they’re owned by China or not.”

Ryan Calo is a professor of law and information science at the University of Washington. He says that, while data privacy in the United States still needs much improvement, the proposed legislation is more about geopolitical tensions and less about TikTok specifically.

“The truth of the matter is, if the sophisticated Chinese intelligence sector wanted to gather information on particular state employees in the United States, it wouldn’t probably have to go through TikTok.”

“It is easy to say that a foreign government is a threat, and you will protect yourself from that foreign government,” he says. I think we should be a bit cautious about how that politicized in a way that far exceeds the actual threat in order to achieve political ends.

The TikTok Crisis: How Tech giants are battling bureaucrats and lobbying in Washington D.C.G.T.

“TikTok will continue to be a platform for free expression and will not be manipulated by any government,” according to excerpts of his remarks. “We will keep safety — particularly for teenagers — a top priority.”

“I think we’re right in the US to be thinking about the consequences of having so much commercial surveillance taking place,” he said. “And we should do something to address it, but not in this ad hoc posturing way, but by passing comprehensive privacy rules or laws, which is something that, for example, the Federal Trade Commission seems very interested in doing.”

Tech giants have repeatedly deployed their CEOs to Capitol Hill, who in some cases have made arguments citing the threat of Chinese competition. They rely on trade associations and advertising campaigns to fight against some of the biggest legislative threats to their business.

The stark difference between the two illustrates how simple narratives, well-funded lobbying and genuinely thorny policy questions can make or break a bill. It also shows how few Big Tech companies remain in control of the market and their affect on the lives of US households.

A Brief Moment During the 2018 House Antitrust Investigation: Can the Tech Industry Take a Lead Role in Online Advertising? The Case of ByteDance, Google, Amazon, and Meta

There is no evidence that this has actually happened. Still, policymakers and security experts have said China’s national security laws make it a possibility — identifying a kernel of risk that fits into a broader anti-China narrative linked to issues including trade, human rights and authoritarianism. The fears were renewed after a report suggested US user data was accessed by China-based employees. TikTok has disagreed with the report.

Beckerman told Jake Tapper that they think a lot of the issues can be solved by the government negotiations.

In 2019, ByteDance had 17 lobbyists and spent $270,000 on lobbying, according to public records gathered by the transparency group OpenSecrets. The company spent $5 million on lobbying last year and its lobbyist count more than doubled.

Meta was the biggest internet industry lobbying giant last year, spending upward of $20 million. Next was Amazon at $19 million, then Google at almost $10 million. TikTok’s parent spent less than one tenth of what the combined lobbying cost.

The American Innovation and Choice Online Act would put new barriers in the way of companies such as Amazon competing with third-party sellers on their own marketplaces. That legislation was a product of a 16-month House antitrust investigation into the tech industry that concluded, in 2020, that many of the biggest tech companies were effectively monopolies.

For a brief moment this month, lawmakers seemed poised to pass a bill that could force Meta, Google and other platforms to pay news organizations a larger share of ad revenues. But the legislation stumbled after Meta warned it could have to drop news content from its platforms altogether if the bill passed.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/tech/washington-tiktok-big-tech/index.html

The Impact of Section 230, Section 535, and 335 on the Silicon Valley Economy and Students’ Understanding of Tech, Science, and Technology

Time and again, Silicon Valley’s biggest players have maneuvered expertly in Washington, defending their turf from lawmakers keen to knock them down a peg.

By contrast, decisions about the rules government might impose on tech platforms have called into question how those regulations may affect different parts of the economy, from small businesses to individual users to the future of the internet itself.

Some proposed changes to the tech industry’s decades-old moderation liability shield may have First Amendment issues as well as partisan divisions. Democrats have said Section 230 should be changed because it gives social media companies a pass to leave some hate speech and offensive content unaddressed, while Republicans have called for changes to the law so that platforms can be pressured to remove less content.

The cross-cutting politics and the technical challenges of regulating an entire sector of technology, not to mention the potential consequences for the economy of screwing it up, have combined to make it genuinely difficult for lawmakers to reach an accord.

Establishing a Republican brand is important. A central principle of what made Republicans unite was taking a strong stance and standing up to China, according to the U.C. San Diego professor.

Social media research and teaching have become staples in academia and higher education curriculums. Modern communication has changed profoundly with the app’s practices, story telling and information sharing.

If we can’t teach a pillar of the modern media landscape, how are we supposed to educate students to be savvy content creators and consumers? While students can certainly still access TikTok within the privacy of their own homes, professors can no longer put TikToks into PowerPoint slides or show TikTok links via classroom web browser. Professors will no longer be able to train their students in the best practices for novel forms of stories because TikTok does not have the ability to do that. TikTok makes it easier to get to parts of the world that are hard to access.

The world keeps turning as these states implement their bans, leaving their citizens disadvantaged in a fast-paced media world. While peers from other states will be able to receive education and training, media and communications students in the states will be disadvantaged in applying for jobs, showcasing their technical mastery, and brand and narrative skills, as they will not have the same opportunities as peers in other states.

Research is also done by professors. Social media scholars in these states quite literally cannot do what they have been hired to do and be experts in if these bans persist. While university compliance offices have said the bans may only be on campus Wi-Fi and mobile data is still allowed, who will foot that bill for one to pay for a more expensive data plan on their phone? No one is the answer. While working at home does remain an option, professors are also employees who are expected to be on campus regularly to show they are in fact working. This means any social media professor attempting to research TikTok on campus will have to rely on video streaming via mobile data, which can be quite expensive, either through having to individually pay for unlimited data, or accidentally going over one’s limits.

A special message from our CEO is being shared on behalf of the entire TikTok team, to thank our community of 150 million Americans.

The Axios Project: Protecting Your Personal Data from Implications of a Security-Possible Apple App

Earlier this month, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was reportedly considering offering a bill to ban a broader “category of applications” that could be applied to other apps that pose security risks, according to Axios.

The app, owned by ByteDance, Inc., has been under fire since the Trump administration, when the former president signed an executive order to enforce a nationwide ban of the app, but ByteDance sued and it never went through.

In a letter to the companies, Sen. Michael Bennet demanded that they immediately remove TikTok from their app stores.

The CEO of TikTok spoke at last year’s NY Times DealBook summit and described “Project Texas”, the company’s plan to move all its data from Virginia and Singapore to the US.

“I suspect that as government takes the significant step of telling all federal employees that they can no longer use TikTok on their work phones many Canadians from business to private individuals will reflect on the security of their own data and perhaps make choices,” Trudeau said.

Apple has a lot to lose in terms of its relationship with both the US and China. Cook has a reputation for maintaining good relationships with the Chinese government and manufacturers.

What does Trump want to do about the geopolitical anti-Tsalli app? How Beijing is going to do something about the Indian problem and what it may look like

Observers are expecting Washington to take action. Mira is a former White House deputy national security adviser now at the Chertoff Group advising businesses on regulations. “There is a unanimity of view that will lead to doing something.” Here is what that something may look like.

India’s TikTok blockade is permeable. A few small ISPs permit access, according to NetBlocks. Ram Raman says that he was able to use the app he had downloaded from the US to watch videos during his time in India. Indian users have been forced to turn to other services, including Google and Facebook, because of the ban.

Trump’s order would have immediately prohibited app stores from distributing TikTok, and nearly two months later would have barred cloud providers and internet infrastructure services from doing business with the company. People or companies caught dodging the order could have faced fines or prison sentences. It was Ivan Kanapathy, who directed China for Trump’s National Security Council, that wanted to start at the root of the problem.

The company recently launched a full-fledged charm offensive that has included rapid-fire meetings in Washington with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, new transparency tools on the app and a first-ever tour to members of the media of its corporate campus in the Los Angeles area.

Adam Segal, a Chinese technology policy expert at the Council on Foreign Relations said there was a lot of performative action going on. He said it was a desire to show toughness on China.

There’s a lot of animosity toward social media, it’s more difficult to take it out on Chinese-owned TikTok right now than it was, say, Facebook or Twitter.

The relationship between TikTok and Oracle was started during the Trump administration as the company was scrambling to find a U.S.-based cloud server in order to keep the app in the US.

A Public Relations Museum about the Security of the U.S. Trade-Off Application of TikTok’s App, Project Texas, which was officially launched in June 2005

USDS is expected to hire 2,500 people who have undergone high-level background checks similar to those used by the U.S. government, TikTok officials said on Tuesday. None of the people hired would be from China.

Aggregate data like what content is most popular on the app in certain regions and what types of videos are popular in certain regions can be analysed by corporate employees in Beijing who would need special permission from the U.S. data security team.

The plan addresses many of the major security concerns U.S. officials have, said Jim Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, but that is no guarantee it will be approved.

“The Oracle plan would work,” Lewis said. This kind of thing is common. A solution may not be enough since TikTok has become so emotional.

After a two-year national security review, White House officials have told TikTok that it must divest from ByteDance, or face a severe punishment in the U.S., including the possibility of a ban.

Assuming the deal passes muster, though, Segal agreed that it resolves the bulk of the data security concerns by allowing inspections of its algorithm and transferring U.S. user data to Oracle.

Project Texas has been reported on in several sources, but Tuesday’s gathering was the first time the company gave an official presentation on the plan.

On Tuesday, TikTok officials gave journalists a tour of its transparent and accountability center, which felt like an interactive public relations museum.

People were put in a position of responsibility to determine if a video broke TikTok’s rules or not.

Visitors who sign confidentiality agreements can review TikTok’s entire source code in server rooms, though journalists are not allowed to do this.

What would you do if you were going to fly a balloon, and what would they do? Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota

The content moderation game brought home to the Tech journalist that it is difficult for thousands of people to make tradeoffs every day on an endless flood of videos.

The TikTok spokesman said that they hope that sharing details of their plans will help Congress take a more deliberative approach to the issues at hand.

What would make you not weaponize data if you were willing to fly a balloon over your airspace, and have people look at it? The vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee said use an app on the phone of 60 million Americans to try to influence political debate in this country.

“There’s no question about the fact that they are trying to gather as much data as they can about all aspects of our country, and even the most minuscule, small items can add up to providing them with more data,” says Republican senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota. “There’s a huge amount of data out there, which will never be touched, never be used, but it’s the small pieces that add up. They are working to fix it. They are patient. They are collecting data and seeing us as a threat.

“None of the suggested … efforts were particularly relevant to my concerns,” senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat of Colorado, told congressional reporters after hosting Chew in his office last week.

An investigation of alleged Chinese interference in mobile devices from the TikTok app, a “spy balloon in your phone” by Gen. Paul Nakasone

Canadian officials said Monday they are banning all government-issued mobile devices from TikTok due to growing concerns over the Chinese-owned app.

Last week, Canada’s federal privacy watchdog and its provincial counterparts in British Columbia,Alberta and Quebec announced an investigation into whether the app complies with Canadian privacy legislation.

Recent media reports have also raised concerns about potential Chinese interference in recent Canadian elections, prompting opposition parties to call for a public inquiry into alleged foreign election interference.

“It’s not only the fact that you can influence something, but you can also turn off the message as well when you have such a large population of listeners,” Gen. Paul Nakasone said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Our status has been a topic of public debate in a way that ignores the facts of what we achieved and what we still have to do. We will continue to do our part to deliver a comprehensive national security plan for the American people,” Brooke Oberwetter from TikTok said in statement.

A bill that Virginia Democrat Mark Warner is working on gives the Commerce Department authority to ban foreign-linked technologies, up to and including a ban.

Like the US government push to ban hardware and other gear made by Huawei, another Chinese technology giant, US officials are often short on specifics when asked to show public proof of collusion between the Chinese government and ByteDance.

The head of the National Security Agency says that people are always looking for the smoking gun in new technologies. “I characterize it much more as a loaded gun.”

Republican McCaul calls TikTok a “spy balloon in your phone,” while his Republican congressman sister called it a “digital drug.”

CNN Primetime: Is Time Up for TikTok?” Discussing the Public Concerns about the Status of the Technicolor Connection in the U.S.

Federal officials worry about China’s growing technological prowess and have been raising tensions with the country in recent years. China’s conduct of military shows in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait is watched by the US.

As a growing number of lawmakers raise national security concerns about TikTok’s ties to China, and some experts worry about the app’s impact on young people’s mental health, CNN is hosting a special to dig into these issues. Watch “CNN Primetime: Is time up for TikTok?” On Thursday, March 23, at 9 pm.

At a Harvard Business Review conference earlier this month, where executives, professors and artists appeared for talks on corporate leadership and emotional intelligence, Shou Chew attempted to save his company.

The increased visibility of Chew is a part of a larger campaign by TikTok to bolster its image and remind voters that it is an important component of American culture.

A press conference will be held on the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday with many social media creators in attendance. The company is paying for a blitz of advertisements for a Beltway audience. And last week it put out a docuseries highlighting American small business owners who rely on the platform for their livelihoods.

TikTok has invited researchers and academics to its Washington, DC, offices to learn more about how it is working to address the concerns of lawmakers over its ties to China through its parent company, ByteDance. According to data, its parent company spent more than $5 million on federal lobbying last year.

TikTok recently implemented a one-hour daily screen time limit for teens under the age of 18 in one of the most aggressive moves yet by a social media company. A new feature was rolled out that would give more information to users about why it recommends certain videos. And the company pledged more transparency to researchers.

The series spotlighted inspiring stories of American small business owners and creators. The first of the 60-second clips features a Mississippi soap maker with a deep Southern accent who built her company on the app, and the second features an educator who quit his job to focus on sharing informational videos on TikTok aimed at teaching toddlers how to read.

A disabled Asian American creator, a small business owner from South Carolina who launched a greeting card company via the TikTok app, and an Ohio-based chef who built her bakery business via the app are all expected to attend. The creators have a lot of followers on TikTok.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/22/tech/tiktok-messaging-campaign/index.html

TikTok and the China Problem: A Commentary on the Status of the PR Push for Chinese Content Recommender Algorithms

Sherman wasn’t sure how persuasive the PR push would be because of how divided Washington is right now.

Lindsay Gorman, a senior fellow for emerging technologies at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy and a former Biden administration adviser, said that “by and large, TikTok’s lobbying efforts so far have been pretty ineffective.”

“It’s gotten a lot more attention, so there’s just more awareness of the problem,” says Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, the top Democrat on the new House Select Committee on China.

Content recommendation algorithm is considered by the Chinese government to be critical to its national interest. In December, Chinese officials proposed tightening the rules that govern the sale of that technology to foreign buyers.

“It also seems extremely unlikely that Beijing will accept any deal that removes TikTok’s algorithm[s] from its direct control and regulatory authority,” he said.

The key to the success of TikTok is the fact that the app keeps users interested. The algorithms give recommendations based on users’ behavior, thus pushing videos they actually like and want to watch.

Back then, Chinese state media published a commentary by a professor of trade at the University of International Business and Economics who said the updated rules meant ByteDance would need a license from Beijing to sell its technology.

“Some cutting-edge technologies might impact national security and public welfare, and need to be included in [export control] management,” Cui Fan told Xinhua.

Chinese regulator of digital and traditional media: How to protect user data from the misuse of artificial intelligence by using recommendations from a subsidiary of Bytedance

A senior official from the Chinese regulator of digital and traditional media visited Bytedance’s offices last week. According to a statement from the regulators website, he asked the company to use recommendation methods to spread positive energy and strengthen the review of online content.

According to the business data platform, a Chinese government entity acquired a 1% stake in a Beijing subsidiary of ByteDance in April 2021. The subsidiary controls operating licenses for Douyin, TikTok’s sister app in China, and Toutiao, a news aggregation app.

At the beginning of 2023, rules governing “deep synthesis algorithms” also took effect. They plan to restrict the use of software powered by artificial intelligence. Such technologies underpin popular apps such as ChatGPT.

“A change of TikTok’s ownership solves nothing,” he said. “The real issue is general data security and who ultimately has access to that data, by whatever means, regardless of legal ownership.”

The true test, he said, is whether user data can be effectively ring-fenced and privacy and security can be achieved through data segregation, encryption and other means.

As for a solution, Silvers expects both sides to try to “finesse a compromise” where US concerns are addressed, but Beijing still retains control over TikTok.

Tik Tok – Where the Hot Topics Are: #BookTok at Trader Joe’s and Other Nearby Hardware Stores

TikTok has penetrated the U.S. culture. The section at Trader Joe’s that features foods made popular by TikTok is a good example of this. Tables dedicated to #BookTok were found in Barnes & Noble stores. Tik Tok has probably had the most significant influence in the music industry, as its songs land at the top of the charts and find commercial success.