FBI: "TikTok Raises Concerns for U.S. National Security"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has expressed concerns that the Chinese company ByteDance's video-sharing platform TikTok could pose a threat to U.S. national security.

According to Bloomberg, on the 15th (local time), FBI Director Christopher Wray told the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee that the Chinese government is collecting data from millions of TikTok users and using TikTok to control its recommendation algorithms, thereby exerting influence.

Wray also pointed out that the Chinese government could use TikTok to manipulate software installed on millions of devices such as smartphones.

He further stated that Chinese companies must comply with the Chinese government's directives regarding information sharing and tools, which is a significant cause for concern.

In the U.S., concerns have been continuously raised that American user information on TikTok could be transferred to the Chinese government.

Earlier, the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) ordered ByteDance to sell TikTok in 2020 due to these concerns.

The FBI also conveyed national security concerns related to TikTok to CFIUS.

In response, Brooke Oberwetter, TikTok spokesperson, said, "We understand the FBI's remarks as part of ongoing negotiations between us and the U.S. government. While we cannot discuss specifics of confidential talks, we are confident that we are on a path to fully satisfy the U.S. government's national security concerns."

Additionally, at a regular briefing on the 16th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to related questions by stating, "It has become a habitual practice of the U.S. side to spread false information and use it as a pretext to suppress Chinese related companies. China firmly opposes this."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.