TikTok accused of sending American users' data to Chinese servers: Report

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has alleged that TikTok has been covertly gathering American users' views on sensitive topics such as abortion, gun control, and religion. According to the DOJ, the Chinese-owned social media platform has been systematically transferring bulk data about its users to servers in China.

This accusation is part of the DOJ’s response to TikTok’s legal challenge against bipartisan legislation aimed at forcing its parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations. The law, driven by national security concerns, seeks to mitigate risks related to the potential manipulation of content on the app.

The DOJ claims that TikTok utilised an internal tool known as “Lark” to transmit user data about their opinions and beliefs to Chinese servers, reported New York Times. This move is said to heighten the national security threat posed by TikTok’s widespread influence in the United States.

The DOJ also alleges that TikTok has censored content at the behest of the Chinese government, though it did not specify whether such censorship has occurred within the U.S. According to intelligence reports, ByteDance and TikTok Global have acted on demands from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to suppress content outside of China.

Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that TikTok had tracked and collected data on users who viewed LGBTQ content through a special dashboard, which the company later claimed to have deleted.

TikTok, which has more than 170 million users in the United States, faces a potential ban by December if it does not comply with the requirement to be sold by its current owners.