TikTok is facing another possible ban after a United States Senator asked the two major smartphone OS providers to ban the social media platform from its app stores. Apple and Google were given a letter by Senator Michael Bennet to remove TikTok from its availability in the country, mentioning its security issues and data collection tactics.
This is also amidst the ongoing restructuring of TikTok, where ByteDance's reshuffle brought in an executive from its Chinese operations, Douyin.
TikTok Ban: Senator Asks Apple and Google for App Store Removal
According to the Colorado Senator, a letter was sent to Big Tech's executives, which appeals to them for TikTok's ban on their respective platforms, the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
"Like most social media platforms, TikTok collects vast and sophisticated data from its users, including faceprints and voiceprints. Unlike most social media platforms, TikTok poses a unique concern because Chinese law obligates ByteDance, its Beijing-based parent company, to 'support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work,'" said Sen. Bennet.
The Senator also highlighted his concerns regarding TikTok's massive reach in the country and how it would be dangerous for an app known for collecting significant data can affect the citizens.
ByteDance Appoints Douyin Executive for TikTok's Product Dev
Amid this controversy, the South China Morning Post reported that ByteDance's reshuffle appointed a former Douyin executive, Fiona Zhi Ying, to head TikTok's product development for its global operations. The goal is to monetize TikTok's operations, which was proven effective with Douyin in China.
This move may add to the rising tensions between TikTok and ByteDance in the US, especially with its ties to China and executives from the Chinese version of the app.
TikTok's Security Concerns in the US
There are significant concerns from lawmakers and political figures in the country regarding TikTok's presence among the public. It centers on security issues circling on data and information by the country, claiming that the short-word social media platform collects these and shares them with its Chinese operations under ByteDance.
The US has already carried out several actions toward limiting TikTok's access to American data, and one of them was the mandate to ban the app on government devices.
On the other hand, several schools in the country also banned TikTok from campus devices, citing security concerns against the app.
The TikTok fiasco is not yet over, and it is still under heavy fire from regulators and agencies, with a US Senator already pushing for Apple and Google's ban of the app from its stores. This comes alongside the change in its administrations, putting yet another Douyin executive on TikTok's global operations to help the app grow more in monetization.
Related Article: TikTok Changes Executives' Positions as a Commitment to the National Security Process
