TikTok (...in my opinion)

(Note my take in blue text below)

In December of 2022, a proposal by Wisconsin Republicans (Rep. Mike Gallagher, Sen. Ron Johnson, and Reps. Glenn Grothman, Bryan Steil, Scott Fitzgerald, and Tom Tiffany) asked Governor Tony Evers to ban TikTok from from all state government devices.

• WISN: Wisconsin Republicans ask Democrat Evers to ban TikTok

• Fox 6: Ban TikTok from Wisconsin government devices? GOP asks Gov. Evers

• CBS 58: Should TikTok be banned on state government devices? Republicans ask Gov. Evers to remove the app

• JS Online: Wisconsin's Republican D.C. delegation urges Tony Evers to order TikTok deleted from state devices

• NBC 15: Wisconsin Republicans ask Democrat Evers to ban TikTok

• Gallagher House: Gallagher Leads Call for Evers to Ban TikTok from State Government Devices

• Washington Examiner: Sen. Ron Johnson and others urge Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers to ban TikTok

• Fox News: TikTok, other social media controlled by our enemies must be banned now. We can't wait any longer

MY TAKE: I absolutely could not agree more with this request and encourage Governor Evers to take immediate action. TikTok is bound by Chinese Law and IS absolutely, 100%, a risk to our national security. This issue is not, nor should it ever be, even remotely a political issue. The US military banned its members from using TikTok on government devices or at all in late 2019 and early 2020, as did the Transportation Security Administration and some other federal agencies. I would like to publicly encourage Governor Evers to take the same action in Wisconsin.

NOTE: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.

• Why is TikTok a security risk? "Officials in the United States have long warned of a potential national security threat because the wildly popular social video platform TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance. But TikTok has always maintained that it is firewalled between ByteDance and its US userbase" - Source

  • Forbes: TikTok Parent ByteDance Planned To Use TikTok To Monitor The Physical Location Of Specific American Citizens

  • Forbes: What You Should Know About The TikTok National Security Debate

• Why the FBI is concerned about TikTok? "FBI Director Christopher Wray believes TikTok poses threats to national security as a Chinese-owned app “that doesn't share our values” and could “manipulate content.” - Source

  • “The Chinese government has shown a willingness to steal Americans’ data on a scale that dwarfs any other.” - FBI Director Christopher Wray

• Why does the government want to get rid of TikTok? "FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr called Tuesday for the US government to formally ban the popular video sharing app TikTok over national security risks posed by its ties to China." - Source

  • “I don’t believe there is a path forward for anything other than a ban” - FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr

• TikTok is "unacceptable security risk" and should be removed from app stores, says FCC

  • "But it is also clear that TikTok's pattern of conduct and misrepresentations regarding the unfettered access that persons in Beijing have sensitive US user data ... puts it out of compliance with the policies that both of your companies require every app to adhere to as a condition of remaining available on your app stores. Therefore, I am requesting that you apply the plain text of your app store policies to TikTok and remove it from your app stores for failure to abide by those terms."

Note: Although they're owned by the same company, China's version of TikTok offers a child-friendly version, with educational videos and a time limit, that isn't offered in the United States. To quote Rep. Mike Gallagher: "TikTok is like 'digital fentanyl' for users."

** Dec 9, 2022, reply from the Office of State Senator Dale Kooyenga | 5th Senate District **

"Last session, Sen. Kooyenga authored Senate Bill 786 (SB786) which would have tightened security standards for the procurement of state devices. While that bill passed the Senate on a party-line vote, it did not receive a vote in the Assembly".

• December 21. 2022: Evers: Wisconsin monitoring TikTok, no plans for a ban - "Evers told the Wisconsin State Journal that his office is in frequent contact with the FBI and emergency management officials to make sure the app doesn't pose a security risk, but the governor said he isn't looking to outlaw the platform on state devices."

• Some universities are now restricting TikTok access on campus

• TikTok owner ByteDance reportedly confirmed employees in US and China accessed the user data of some US citizens, including 2 journalists

• TikTok data collection, ties to China spur bans

• Wisconsin lawmaker expresses concern over TikTok sponsoring halftime shows

  • "Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) sent a joint letter to CEO James Pitaro on Monday over the recent games. The letter questions ESPN's corporate decision-making and risk analysis for sponsorships. The letter also mentions the recent banning of TikTok on federal government devices, including in Congress, calling the app a "significant threat to U.S. national security.""

Jan 13, 2023 Update...

Wisconsin governor bans popular TikTok app - SCOTT BAUER - Associated Press

• "Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers ordered the ban, which also includes WeChat, after he said he consulted with the FBI and emergency management officials. He cited potential risks to privacy, safety and security. Evers' order applies to most state agencies, with some exceptions like criminal investigators who may be using the app to track certain people."

• "TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. It has been targeted by critics who say the Chinese government could access user data, such as browsing history and location. U.S. armed forces also have prohibited the app on military devices."

How to delete your TikTok account...

• tiktok.com - Deleting an account

• https://blog.mozilla.org/en/internet-culture/how-to-delete-tiktok

1. In the app, click the profile icon on the bottom right.

2. Click the three-line icon on the top right.

3. Click on settings and privacy > manage account > delete account.

4. Follow the prompts.

Additional Links...

• Is TikTok still a security risk 2022? "All of the concerns with TikTok are heightened in the military context.” In June, BuzzFeed reported on leaked audio from internal TikTok meetings that contain statements from nine TikTok staffers that Chinese employees had access to U.S. personal user data as recently as January 2022. - Source

• What are the negative effects of TikTok? "Some experts believe that TikTok's algorithm can promote content related to depression, anxiety and eating disorders, according to CBS News. In 2021, The Wall Street Journal conducted its own investigation into the app." - Source

• The FBI says the video-sharing app TikTok poses national security concerns - Source

• Wired: It’s Time to Get Real About TikTok’s Risks

  • "With so many users, TikTok is clearly a potentially rich source of personal data and could be exploited in the way other social platforms have been to spread disinformation or promote influence operations."
    

Bill Maher: TikTok is screwing up kids' brains, and no one seems to care or want to do anything about it.

Utah bans TikTok from public devices, joining other Republican states

BIZ DATA - Where Is TikTok Banned? Tracking the Action State by State

• "TikTok, the massively popular social video platform owned by the Beijing-based company ByteDance, has already been banned on government-owned devices in several U.S. states because of security concerns."