The history of the US government against TikTok returns to write a new chapter of the conflict. Since 2019, the Donald Trump administration wanted to remove the video platform from circulation, at least in the American country. The reason? The same one they used against Huawei: espionage. Several dates were given for the decision to become effective, but they always ran them and in the end nothing happened.
Now, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the one who returns to the fray, through one of its highest positions. Its objective? Ban TikTok from the United States, just as they did with Huawei a few years ago.
An FCC commissioner asks Google and Apple to remove TikTok from their app stores
Brendan Carr, commissioner of the FCC and one of its highest positions, published a quite explicit open letter on his Twitter account. In it, he asks Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, as he considers it a threat to user privacy and national security .
Carr points out that TikTok is not just a video app, but a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” To specify, he adds that TikTok is a tool that collects huge amounts of data for the Chinese government . This accusation is not new, because in 2020 it was learned that TikTok was spying on data on Android and iOS. Even Anonymous lashed out at the app, asking to delete it for being dangerous. Some of these problems have been resolved, but for the United States it seems not to be enough.
TikTok is not just another video app.
That’s the sheep’s clothing.It harvests swaths of sensitive data that new reports show are being accessed in Beijing.
I’ve called on @Apple & @Google to remove TikTok from their app stores for its pattern of surreptitious data practices. pic.twitter.com/Le01fBpNjn
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) June 28, 2022
Among Carr’s plans is to ban TikTok before July 8, 2022 , although his request has a loophole: the FCC has enough power to ban TikTok from the country without any problem, but Brendan Carr’s letter is written in a way staff, not as commissioner.
This is an idea that is reinforced when Tim Cook (Apple) and Sundar Pichai (Google) are asked to send a response explaining their reasons if they decide not to remove TikTok from the App Store and Google Play. There is no obligation in the application , but it is left to the consideration of each company.
Finally, Carr’s argument refers to TikTok breaching the conditions of the app stores . Specifically, not to collect data in a massive way without the user’s consent. Once again, something internal to each company that they will see how to tackle, not a legally binding order from the FCC.
What will happen in the end? We’ll know on July 8, if the wrinkle doesn’t go away once again. Do you think the United States will finally ban TikTok from its territory? If that were to happen, here is an article on how to use TikTok in the US if it is banned and blocked.
