Congress voted overwhelmingly last month to require ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest from the app, which was the right decision. However, there are still concerns that need to be addressed.
TikTok is seen as a propaganda and espionage asset of the Chinese Communist Party, with the ability to influence political discourse in the United States. There are reports that TikTok plans to hire over 40,000 trust and safety professionals to remove election misinformation, raising questions about how they define such content.
Reports have shown that TikTok suppresses or boosts content to align with Beijing’s political agenda. There have been instances where TikTok censored videos discussing sensitive topics like Tiananmen Square and Tibetan independence.
TikTok’s ability to control what goes viral on its platform raises concerns about political manipulation. For example, the app restricted a European Parliament member’s reach due to his views on immigration, labeling them as conspiracy theories.
TikTok’s recent announcement to work with Democracy Works to determine reliable election information is raising more concerns, as Democracy Works is known to have left-leaning donors and affiliations.
While Congress took a step in the right direction by requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok, further action is needed to address political manipulation on the platform. Americans are advised not to rely on TikTok for news or information on elections, as it may be influenced by propaganda and misinformation.
It is crucial for Congress and state governments to conduct thorough investigations and potentially implement further regulations to address TikTok’s political manipulation ahead of the 2024 election. Users should be wary of using TikTok, as it may compromise their data and expose them to unreliable information.
