The internal division within the United States is growing deeper by the day. It’s not just about the stark differences between Democrats and Republicans, but the intensity of the divide on each issue is escalating. There is one topic, however, where both sides find common ground – China.
If you follow international news closely, you may have come across discussions about how the U.S. is pushing for TikTok to separate from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Over 80% of Congress members and senators agree on this issue, despite the split along party lines. The concern stems from the fear that TikTok might provide China access to data on the platform under Chinese laws, along with the influence of the Communist Party of China over tech companies, especially Chinese tech firms. The FBI has also warned about the potential impact on information dissemination through TikTok.
The critical question is, how significant is the U.S.’ concern? To gain a deeper understanding, we need to peel back the layers one by one.
Many are aware that ByteDance is the powerhouse behind several popular apps like TikTok (a global short-video platform), Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), Jinri Toutiao (a news app in China), and more. While TikTok emphasizes the separation between its operations outside China and within, there have been reports suggesting that some TikTok employees in the U.S. have shared personal data like emails, birthdates, or IP addresses with colleagues at ByteDance through the company’s messaging app. Although seemingly minor, researchers from Johns Hopkins view this as crucial evidence that TikTok may not be serious enough about maintaining separate operations in China and the U.S.
Furthermore, earlier this year, a former TikTok employee revealed to Fortune that they worked on sending data from the U.S. to China and were subject to secret direct orders from ByteDance executives in China.
Here comes a subtle observation that connects TikTok and ByteDance in China. ByteDance disclosed that around 60% of shares are held by global institutional investors like BlackRock, roughly 20% by founders, and another 20% by worldwide employees, including 7,000 in the U.S. This portrayal aims to establish ByteDance as a globally renowned Chinese company.
However, CNN points out some connections that hint at China’s involvement with ByteDance;
– Chinese laws mandate cooperation in data control and security. The new data security law in China starting 2021 covers activities overseas that may threaten national security or public interests.
– Chinese regulators have a Golden Share in ByteDance, similar to other Chinese tech companies. Despite owning just 1% of shares, they have high voting rights and the authority to dictate the company’s direction.
– Like other Chinese companies, ByteDance has a Communist Party committee.
All these factors point to the possibility of Chinese influence being present if they choose because the mechanism for it is already in place.
When delving into the Chinese government’s power and ByteDance’s relevance intrigues, the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) conducted a study comparing content on TikTok and Instagram, segmented by hashtags.
During the study, it was found that Instagram, with about 2 billion users, had more content across various categories compared to TikTok, which boasts around 1.5 billion users (Instagram with 1.3 times more users). This difference illustrates that a higher volume of diverse content is likely to be shared on Instagram compared to TikTok.
Content related to sensitive matters for China, or other countries, exhibits a similar trend:
– Ukraine: 8.5 times more presence (China needs to stay neutral to maintain relations with Russia)
– Israel: 6.2 times more presence (China must continue to oppose Israel to balance relations with Arab countries and counter U.S. influence)
For topics benefiting China upon dissemination, such as the Kashmir conflict (a boon for China as it challenges India’s influence in Central Asia), TikTok displayed 619 times more content than Instagram, with a massive 230 million posts (compared to similar themes like cricket, having only 50,000 posts).
It’s clear that the political contention between countries is mirrored in the content on these platforms:
– Russia: 8.5 times more (Necessity for China to remain neutral due to its ties with Russia)
– Israel: 6.2 times more (China needs to stand against Israel to balance relations with Arab countries and challenge the U.S.)
However, in matters that are more beneficial to China’s narrative, TikTok outnumbers Instagram significantly. For instance, posts related to Kashmir, despite being relatively niche, far surpass the volume of posts on mainstream topics like Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Styles. This raises questions about why global political discourse like Tibet or Taiwan is overlooked on TikTok.
The research conducted by NCRI late last year prompted TikTok to swiftly introduce new features in its app, such as the removal of certain hashtags identified by NCRI, including Kashmir, Tiananmen, and Palestine.
Moreover, TikTok promptly addressed the concerns raised by the study, clarifying that content volume does not necessarily indicate bias or censorship. In the case of content related to Palestine, its significant presence on TikTok is attributed to the growing sympathy among young Americans towards Palestine.
In conclusion, if this trend continues, the volume of content supporting Israel on TikTok should be proportionate to that on Instagram. However, the current data reveals that Instagram has six times more content than TikTok (1,000,000 posts vs. 170,000 posts).
Additionally, media researcher Paul Matzko highlighted that Instagram preceded TikTok, impacting the relevance of certain topics like Tibet, which was once popular but has now waned. This critique may dilute the issue, shifting focus to current events that resonate with China. For instance, the resurgence of posts related to Kashmir on TikTok showcases a dominant narrative that overwhelms other discussions.
Organizations like TikTok have become players in the global geopolitical arena, influencing politics and public perceptions through information sharing. While TikTok insists on its independence from Chinese government influence, evidence suggests that the U.S. has valid concerns and is taking proactive measures.
Among the evolving political landscape, TikTok emerges as the latest battleground for data security and political influence. Despite TikTok’s claims of autonomy from Chinese interference, the shadow of Chinese influence looms large, fueling tensions and prompting decisive actions.
TLDR: The growing divide within the U.S. intensifies with concerns over TikTok’s Chinese connections. Congressional members and senators express agreement on separating TikTok from ByteDance, amidst worries of data security and Chinese influence. Analysis shows different content trends on TikTok and Instagram that reflect global political tensions, raising questions about TikTok’s role in disseminating sensitive narratives. Steps have been taken to address concerns, but the impact of Chinese influence on TikTok remains a subject of contention.
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