Chinese Social Media App TikTok Declared a National Security Threat

(CTN News) – TikTok, a social media platform owned by a Chinese company, has been declared a threat to national security by Taiwan’s Minister of Digital Affairs, Audrey Tang.

Tang pointed out that TikTok is associated with foreign adversaries, which aligns with the United States’ view that the platform poses a threat to national security.

Tang stated in a recent legislative hearing that “Taiwan has classified TikTok as a dangerous product.” According to her, any product that can be controlled by foreign adversaries, whether directly or indirectly, poses a threat to Taiwan’s national information and communication security, according to Taiwan’s standards.

In the United States, a similar trend has been observed in Taiwan. As a result of a recent bill passed by the US House of Representatives, ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, has been given a deadline to divest its US assets or face a nationwide ban. There is concern over foreign influence over digital platforms in Taiwan, which is reflected in this legislation.

Tang revealed that Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) has proposed an amendment to the Cyber Security Management Act, echoing concerns raised by the U.S. House of Representatives’ bill concerning indirect foreign influence. In addition to safeguarding Taiwan’s digital infrastructure, this amendment reflects Taiwan’s commitment to preventing external interference.

There is already a restriction on the use of TikTok within Taiwanese government agencies and their premises. In the meantime, however, Tang hinted at the possibility of extending the ban to schools, non-governmental agencies, and public spaces, pending a decision by the Cabinet. In her remarks, she stressed that such a decision would require a comprehensive assessment taking into consideration both legal processes and the practical feasibility of the proposal.

“The final decision will be made by the Cabinet following an extensive review of opinions from different sectors,” the ministry stated. A series of interministerial discussions have been convened by the Cabinet in order to address this issue in an effective manner.

Furthermore, the digital ministry indicated that it was keeping a close eye on the progress of the TikTok bill in the US Congress, an indication that it was keenly interested in international developments that might affect U.S. digital security policy.

In accordance with existing regulations established in 2019 and revised in 2022, any information and communication system or service with the potential to disrupt government operations or societal stability is classified as a product endangering national information and communication security, according to CNA Taiwan.

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