TikTok, which is owned by Bytedance, recently acknowledged that it had spied on American journalists to find their sources. Nikkei Asia said that the nation is now intensifying its measures to outlaw the usage of TikTok. According to the article, the US House of Representatives passed legislation last week that will prevent the software from being used on equipment controlled by the government.
In an internal inquiry earlier this month, Bytedance discovered that four of its workers in China used the TikTok app to acquire data on journalists, including writers from BuzzFeed, the Financial Times, and Forbes, to determine where their articles came from. The staff members observed the journalists’ IP addresses and observed their movements.
TikTok Has Been Leaking Information
The measure will soon be signed into law by US President Joe Biden, according to the Nikkei Asia newspaper. The restriction has already been implemented by the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, and State. The limitations are increased across the board under the new legislation. Similar measures were implemented earlier this month to prohibit the use of TikTok on state-owned property and IT networks in Alabama and Utah. A Federal Communications Commission member claims that as of December 13, at least 12 states have such prohibitions in place.
The measure will soon be signed into law by US President Joe Biden, according to the Nikkei Asia newspaper. The restriction has already been implemented by the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, and State. The limitations are increased across the board under the new legislation. Similar measures were implemented earlier this month to prohibit the use of TikTok on state-owned property and IT networks in Alabama and Utah. A Federal Communications Commission member claims that as of December 13, at least 12 states have such prohibitions in place.