FCC Commissioner Demands Apple and Google Ban TikTok Over Surveillance Fears
A Federal Communications Commission commissioner urges Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores following reports that the app accesses U.S. user data from China. The official labels the popular video app a sophisticated surveillance tool rather than a simple entertainment platform.
An FCC commissioner calls on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their U.S. app stores, arguing that the popular video app functions as a sophisticated surveillance tool. Brendan Carr issues this demand after a bombshell report reveals that the Chinese-owned company repeatedly accesses nonpublic data from American users. He warns that TikTok harvests extensive personal information, ranging from browsing histories and keystroke patterns to biometric identifiers like faceprints and voiceprints.
This renewed scrutiny follows evidence that TikTok's U.S. employees lack full control over how American data flows, forcing them to consult colleagues in China despite previous promises to the U.S. Senate. Carr argues that the app's seemingly innocent exterior as a platform for funny videos and memes acts as deceptive sheep's clothing. He connects these data practices to China's broader development of invasive surveillance capabilities used to maintain authoritarian control within its own borders.
Critics point out that U.S. tech giants also engage in extensive data collection, a reality highlighted by Edward Snowden's past revelations about American intelligence agencies tapping into foreign data. The lack of a federal privacy law in the United States makes data surveillance a politically explosive issue that continues to disrupt international agreements, such as data-sharing pacts between Europe and the U.S. Nevertheless, Carr emphasizes that bipartisan concerns regarding TikTok's specific pattern of surreptitious data practices warrant immediate removal from American app stores.