According to CNBC, a US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) executive has asked Apple and Google to remove the short video platform TikTok from its app stores over security concerns. In the past, the popular app from Chinese parent company ByteDance was also tightly controlled by the administration of former US President Donald Trump.
In particular, Brendan Carr, an FCC commissioner, shared a letter on his personal Twitter page to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. In it, he stated that TikTok did not comply with the policies of both Apple and Google.
“TikTok is not what it seems. It’s not just a funny meme or video app, but a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. Essentially, TikTok acts as an advanced surveillance tool and collects large amounts of sensitive personal data,” Carr claimed.
In his letter, Brendan Carr also said that if Apple and Alphabet don’t remove TikTok from its app stores, both companies will have to provide a reasonable explanation by July 8.
“Statements should explain that TikTok’s access to user data and patterns and deceptive behavior do not violate company policy,” Carr emphasized. Earlier, in 2018, this leader was proposed by former President Donald Trump to join the FCC for a 5-year term.
Alphabet, Apple and TikTok were not immediately available for comment.
Earlier this month, Carr also cited a BuzzFeed News report that Chinese engineers had access to US user data between September 2021 and January 2022.
The report also includes a statement from a TikTok spokesperson: “We know that TikTok is one of the most researched platforms for privacy, and we always want to clear up any doubts about its integrity. security of US user data. That’s why we hired US experts, consistently verified security standards, and worked with many reputable, independent third parties.”
Earlier, in 2019, the United States Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) began investigating TikTok for collecting user data. A year later, former US President Donald Trump threatened to ban TikTok from operating in the country over concerns that US user data would be easily accessible in China. However, TikTok has repeatedly insisted that it never shares user data and will not do so when prompted.
By 2021, TikTok will be the most downloaded application and will have more than a billion users worldwide. Moreover, with revenue of nearly USD 4 billion last year, mainly from advertising and expected to reach USD 12 billion this year, TikTok’s scale is expanding more and more, even equaling the social networking platform Twitter and Snap together, only three years after it started advertising to step up.
US wants Apple and Google to remove TikTok from app stores
In addition, TikTok is also entering the field of e-commerce, an ambition that is slowly blurring the dividing line between social networks and online shopping applications. This video sharing platform allows merchants to set up digital stores in UK, Indonesia and Thailand. Millions of users will be able to purchase products directly from the app, without resorting to traditional e-commerce platforms. This expansion is said to be one of the factors scaring US officials.
Source: CafeF
