Canadian intelligence chief warns against use of TikTok
What's the story
David Vigneault, the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, has cautioned Canadians against using the popular social media app TikTok. In a recent interview with CBC News, Vigneault expressed concerns about user data being "available to the government of China." He highlighted China's "very clear strategy" to gather personal information globally and its extensive use of big data analytics and artificial intelligence in this process.
Regulatory actions
US Congress moves to regulate TikTok
The issue of China's access to user data is not exclusive to Canada. It has also been a significant concern in the United States' efforts to regulate or potentially ban TikTok. In April, the US Congress passed a bill that would prohibit TikTok unless it separates from its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance. In response, TikTok has sued the US government, arguing that the proposed ban is unconstitutional.
Data isolation
TikTok's efforts to isolate user data from China
Despite these concerns, TikTok previously insisted that its Chinese staff cannot access US and European users' data. The company has initiated two significant corporate restructuring efforts—Project Texas and Project Clover—to isolate user data from China. However, Fortune suggests that these efforts have been "largely cosmetic." TikTok spokesperson Danielle Morgan refuted Vigneault's claims, stating, "These assertions are unsupported by evidence, and the fact is that TikTok has never shared Canadian user data with the Chinese government, nor would we if asked."