Cybersecurity Concerns with Popular Chinese App TikTok

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1 Cybersecurity Concerns with Popular Chinese App TikTok Courtney Hanley American Public University BUSN320: Principles of E Business Alex Lazo, PhD March 12, 2023

2 Cybersecurity Concerns with Popular Chinese App TikTok The United States and China have been competing long before the rise of the internet era. The US and China are constantly developing new technologies that are rapidly changing, which causes concern for cybersecurity on both sides. China is leaping ahead in technology with a Chinese App called TikTok that has gone viral in the United States and are using this app to collect data, spy on its users, and even control the algorithm to influence users. The rapid development of e-Business makes it hard to keep up with cybersecurity, and matter how protective we are of our information, there is always a way for the other side to penetrate our systems. Collection of Data Both The United States and China both feel that they are under attack. This is what causes the core wedge between both countries. We are starting to see a shift that started as individual hackers who were stealing bank account information, to now we are more commonly seeing groups who stealing information of strategic value. An example of this was Operation Shady RAT. “ Operation Shady RAT is a massive advanced persistent threat (APT)-type attack campaign that has been ongoing worldwide for five years and has stolen intellectual property from 70 government agencies, international corporations, nonprofits, and others in 14 countries (Higgins, 2011).” In 2020, Donald Trump had banned TikTok in the United States with an executive order that alleged TikTok’s data collection could potentially allow China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, build personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage (Tidy, 2023). Unfortunately, due to legal challenges, President Joe Biden overturned the proposal.

3 Spying on Users On February 28, 2023 US government agencies were ordered to wipe the TikTok app off of all staff devices within 30 days due to concern with cyber security (Ray, 2023). There is no telling how long or how many government officials downloaded this app on their government issued devices without thinking twice about the software having access to data within their phone or spying on them. For example, most apps have tracking capabilities and would be able to pinpoint the exact time, date, and location of that device at any given time. This opens the door to tracking daily activities of government officials, while also having the capability to access information shared within that device. Controlling the Algorithm. Article Seven of China’s National Intelligence Law states that Any organization or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law, and keep the secrets of the national intelligence work known to the public. The State protects individuals and organizations that support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence work (Saraswat, 2020). This causes serious suspicion of not only TikTok, but of all apps and companies developed in China. Developers of TikTok can control the algorithm within the app, which allows them to influence their users. TikTok also has a sister app called Douyin. This app is only available to users in China and is very heavily censored on what type of content is being shown. The Douyin app is known to encourage educational and healthy content. All social networks in China are closely monitored by teams that specialize in censorship and delete content that criticizes the Chinese government or excites political unrest. However, within the United States, TikTok is not as censored and the content shown or content that is pushed more

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4 heavily throughout the algorithm is mostly degrading, highly addictive, and anti-government information. Basically, the exact opposite of what they allow on the Douyin app in China. Conclusion Some may even argue that although TikTok looks harmless, especially to the younger generations, it could be a powerful weapon in times of conflict. Tiktok is being used to collect and steal data, spy on its users, and c ontrol the algorithm for influencing purposes which are all threats to the United States. Unfortunately, at this time we are dealing with a one-way street as China does not have to worry about US apps since access to US apps for Chinese citizens has been blocked or many years. We need to take this seriously and treat it as a cyber-attack and escalate our cybersecurity.

5 References 1. HigginsEditor-in-Chief, K. J., ReadingAugust 11, D., & 2011. (2011, August 11). “Operation Shady RAT” Attackers Employed Steganography . Dark Reading. https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/-operation-shady-rat-attackers-employed- steganography 2. TikTok answers three big cyber-security fears about the app. (2023, February 28). BBC News . https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-64797355 3. Ray, S. (n.d.). TikTok Must Be Removed From Government Workers’ Devices Within 30 Days, White House Says . Forbes. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/02/28/white-house-orders-removal-of- tiktok-from-government-issued-devices-within-30-days/?sh=5aef52291ba6 4. Understanding the National Intelligence Law of China: Why India banned Tik Tok? (n.d.). Diplomatist. https://diplomatist.com/2020/09/05/understanding-the-national- intelligence-law-of-china-why-india-banned-tik-tok/

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