Recently, it's come out that the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has revived the idea of requesting that the Apple and Google online app stores permanently remove TikTok. The reason for this 'potential break-up' comes from what the FCC calls "its pattern of surreptitious data practices."
Brenda Carr, a Republican and FCC member, wrote a letter to the tech company executives stating that "it is clear that TikTok poses an unacceptable national security risk due to its extensive data harvesting combined with Beijing's unchecked access to that sensitive data."
In September 2021, there were talks that the app used by over 1 billion people globally every month was a wolf in "sheep's clothing" regarding its true intentions. By TikTok masking as a popular social media app, US politicians argue that it can seamlessly function as a "sophisticated surveillance tool" for harvesting sensitive personal data.
Although ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, continues to deny these claims, the app has faced various scandals and controversies. From skirting various security measures on Android devices, they are attempting to gain access to iOS clipboard info and settling the $92 million class-action lawsuits where the app was said to collect US user biometric and personal data without consent.
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