Is TikTok a threat to global security? | The Stream

How concerned should social media users be about TikTok? The short-form video app – which has gained massive popularity around the world – is being investigated by the US government as a threat to national security and as a tool that could be used for surveillance of millions. The app, whose parent company is based in Beijing, boasts 800 million active users worldwide, and 165 million in the US alone. India recently called TikTok a “threat to sovereignty” and banned it along with 58 other Chinese mobile apps. And the US may soon follow suit as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced last week that he is looking into blocking Chinese apps including TikTok and WeChat.

US politicians have raised concerns that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government in espionage, blackmail or intellectual property theft. In this episode, we’ll examine the allegations surrounding TikTok and other Chinese tech.

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About This Source - Al Jazeera English

The video item below is a piece of English language content from Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera is a Qatari state-funded broadcaster based in Doha, Qatar, owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network.

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