DOJ Accuses TikTok of Collecting Sensitive Data, Defends Law to Force Sale or Ban by January 19

Jul 27, 2024, 03:53 PM

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has accused TikTok of collecting data on U.S. users' views on sensitive topics such as gun control, abortion, and religion, allegedly at the direction of its China-based parent company, ByteDance. The DOJ claims that this data collection poses a national security threat, as it could be used for covert content manipulation and propaganda by the Chinese government. In response, the DOJ has asked a U.S. appeals court to reject TikTok's legal challenge to a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. assets by January 19 or face a ban. The DOJ's filing, submitted on Friday, is part of a broader effort to address concerns about the potential misuse of user data and influence over American public opinion by foreign entities. TikTok's lawsuit argues that the law violates First Amendment rights of free speech.