Just as TikTok is struggling to remain operational in the US due to security concerns, a former executive from its parent company, ByteDance, may have just put the final nail in the coffin after revealing that TikTok is accessed by the Chinese Communist Party.
TikTok in Hot Waters
The former executive in question, Yintao Yu, was the head of engineering in the US operations for the TikTok parent company. Aside from revealing information that could bring about the total ban of TikTok, he also claims that he was wrongfully terminated by the company.
The lawsuit states that he was laid off after addressing concerns about the company's plans, which were to steal the intellectual property of other companies and profit from them, calling it a "worldwide scheme," as mentioned in The New York Times.
Although, the most concerning piece of information that the ex-executive stated was that ByteDance offices in Beijing held a special unit of Chinese Communist Party members which were referred to as "the Committee."
They were said to have monitored the apps and had "supreme access" to company data including those that were of the US. Yu also claimed that the guided how the company can advance "core Communist values" through the app.
China's access to US data and its schemes to influence users are among the biggest concerns that the US government has been wary of, and the statement of the former executive might just be enough for US lawmakers to finally implement a total ban on the app.
Although those accusations of "lawlessness" alone are already enough to sway US government officials against the short-form video app, Yu had several other claims where the company has committed unethical actions without hesitation or debate.
For instance, the former executive says that an engineer in Douyin, which is the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, was said to have manipulated the algorithm of the app to show more of anti-Japanese content to users.
US's Ban on TikTok
The Biden administration is quite adamant when it comes to the ban on the app. It provided two options, which are to either sell it off to the US so they will have complete control, or it will be completely shut down in the US.
One of the arguments that the government has been pushing is that TikTok serves as a way for China to access US data as well as manipulate its citizens through the kind of content it promotes, which aligns with what the former ByteDance engineer claims.
Several US states have already implemented a policy to ban the app on government devices to avoid access to private and sensitive data such as location and browsing history. Just recently, a state has completely restricted the app on all devices, not just government-owned.
Montana passed the law that bans the app completely back in April 2023. According to Euronews, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter stated that they will continue to fight for the TikTok users and creators in Montana who earns through TikTok content creation.
