Concerns Over Chinese Intelligence Accessing Canadian User Data
Canadian intelligence has issued a warning to the public, advising against the use of TikTok due to concerns that Chinese intelligence might be accessing user data. This warning comes in the wake of similar actions taken by the United States, where suspicions arose that the Chinese government was accessing data from American TikTok users. In response, U.S. Congress, the Senate, and President Joe Biden moved to ban the app. Following this decision, the U.S. government mandated that TikTok be sold to an American company within six months.
Is TikTok Sharing Data with Chinese Intelligence?
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has raised alarms about TikTok. CSIS Director David Vigneault, in a recent interview with CBC News, emphasized that the Chinese government employs various techniques to gather information worldwide. He highlighted the Chinese government’s advanced computing capabilities, sophisticated data analysis methods, and the use of artificial intelligence to process vast amounts of data. Vigneault urged Canadians to stop using TikTok due to these potential risks.
In response to these warnings, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has previously stated that no one has accessed data from U.S. and European users. The company stores these users’ data with Oracle in the United States, under initiatives known as Project Texas and Project Clover. A recent report indicates that ByteDance has been making significant efforts to safeguard U.S. user data.
TikTok spokesperson Danielle Morgan, in an interview with The Verge, said, “These allegations are not supported by evidence. The truth is, our company has never shared Canadian user data with the Chinese government, nor would we do so if requested.”
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