Intelligence chiefs unite in warning about threat posed by China-owned TikTok

TThe heads of the U.S.’s top intelligence agencies met this week to warn about the danger to national security. China-owned TikTok, This is a reference to the influence of the Chinese government on the app’s algorithm, access to data, and software.

The warnings came during back-to-back Senate and House Intelligence Committee Audiences This week, FBI Director Christopher Wray They were the first to warn of the dangers. “national security concerns” Pose TikTok with the heads of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA, the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency agreeing with him.

SPY COMMUNITY WARNS CHINA’S WILLINGNESS IN U.S. TO MEDDLE ELECTIONS

TikTok’s owner is ByteDance. A Beijing-based company, ByteDance has Links to the Chinese government Shou Zi Chew was simultaneously the CFO at ByteDance from November 2021 to April 2021. In April 2021, he became CEO of TikTok. Increasing the influence of the Chinese parent company The app.

Wray negotiated with Senator Marco Rubio, R-FL on Wednesday When asked If the Chinese Communist Party could access millions of users’ data through ByteDance control, then China could possibly control millions of devices. China could also use TikTok for narratives that attempt to divide Americans and push anti-Taiwan sentiment.

“I think the most fundamental piece that cuts across every one of those risks and threats that you mentioned, that I think Americans need to understand, is that something that’s very sacred in our country, the difference between the private sector and the public sector — that’s a line that is nonexistent in the way the CCP operates,” Wray testified.

While TikTok, ByteDance, and TikTok claim they have never and will not give TikTok user information to the Chinese government repeatedly, national security specialists have raised concerns over China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law which requires all Chinese businesses to help Chinese intelligence agencies when asked.

Rubio claimed Wednesday that “TikTok is not a good thing for America,” All intelligence chiefs agreed. According to the Florida Republican, TikTok was a terrorist program. “is probably one of the most valuable surveillance tools on the planet” It was noted “we’ve invited them in and protected them by our laws.”

The senator reintroduced February legislation that would prohibit “all transactions from any social media company in or under the influence of” TikTok would not be allowed in China, Russia, or other countries that are hostile to it.

Wray It should be emphasized This Thursday “it’s the ownership of the CCP that fundamentally cuts across all those concerns” Referring to TikTok (when pressed by Rep. Mike Gallagher, (R-WI), the FBI director said that China could manipulate this algorithm in order to conduct influence operations and access the data for espionage. He also claimed that the software could be used to control millions of phones.

DNI Avril Haines testified