{"id":619345,"date":"2024-05-04T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-04T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/tiktok-is-a-ticking-time-bomb-we-must-defuse-before-its-too-late\/"},"modified":"2024-05-04T18:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-04T15:00:00","slug":"tiktok-is-a-ticking-time-bomb-we-must-defuse-before-its-too-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/tiktok-is-a-ticking-time-bomb-we-must-defuse-before-its-too-late\/","title":{"rendered":"#TikTok is a ticking time bomb we must defuse before it\u2019s too late"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>            <iframe title=\"Audio Article\" id=\"instaread_iframe\" name=\"instaread_playlist\" scrolling=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" style=\"display:block\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>U.S.-China relations have reached a point where the possibility of a full-blown conflict between the two nations cannot be denied.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Clearly, no rational person wants this scenario to occur. But if it does, it\u2019s likely the first \u201cshots fired\u201d would not be through conventional weaponry, but a secret weapon China possesses that even at this very moment is locked on to over<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/tiktok-now-150-million-active-users-us-ceo-tell-congress-rcna75607\">\u00a0<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/tiktok-now-150-million-active-users-us-ceo-tell-congress-rcna75607\">150 million American citizens<\/a>: TikTok.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>As of now, with\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/04\/24\/1246663779\/biden-ban-tiktok-us\">the law calling for a sale or ban of TikTok<\/a>\u00a0giving its parent company 12 months to take action, we are completely unprepared and defenseless against this secret weapon. To do something about this, however, we need to understand exactly why TikTok is such a danger.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>First, it\u2019s important to realize that the prospect of war with China is not a fearmongering or partisan viewpoint. It is a concern shared by analysts across the political spectrum. Michael Beckley and Hal Brands of the conservative American Enterprise Institute said the risk signals<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2024\/02\/04\/china-war-military-taiwan-us-asia-xi-escalation-crisis\/\">\u00a0<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2024\/02\/04\/china-war-military-taiwan-us-asia-xi-escalation-crisis\/\">are \u201cflashing red\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and Michael T. Klare, a correspondent for the progressive publication The Nation, warns that a war with China would<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/world\/us-china-crisis-2024\/\">\u00a0<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/world\/us-china-crisis-2024\/\">\u201ctake this planet to hell and back.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But amid the growing tensions between the two nations, why is TikTok such a national security risk? Because the seemingly innocuous <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a> can simultaneously serve as an apparatus for psychological and asymmetric warfare.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Psychological warfare includes propaganda,<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mediadefence.org\/ereader\/publications\/introductory-modules-on-digital-rights-and-freedom-of-expression-online\/module-8-false-news-misinformation-and-propaganda\/misinformation-disinformation-and-mal-information\/\">\u00a0<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mediadefence.org\/ereader\/publications\/introductory-modules-on-digital-rights-and-freedom-of-expression-online\/module-8-false-news-misinformation-and-propaganda\/misinformation-disinformation-and-mal-information\/\">disinformation, misinformation and mal-information<\/a>\u00a0to sow confusion, discord and chaos among a populace. Asymmetric warfare broadly encompasses multiple forms of non-conventional combat such as terrorism, sabotage and cyber warfare, to weaken an opponent.<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-59755100\">\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-59755100\">Experts widely agree<\/a>\u00a0that the wars of the future will rely on less conventional warfare and more on psychological, informational and asymmetric warfare.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with psychological warfare.<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2022\/06\/news-psychological-warfare\">\u00a0Research shows<\/a>\u00a0that all <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> platforms effectively disseminate disinformation, misinformation and mal-information. But what makes TikTok different?\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Most social media platforms in the U.S. are motivated primarily by profit. ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, is motivated by profit but is also a Chinese company. And as a Chinese company, it is\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/03\/15\/tiktok-ban-security-china-laws\">subject to laws<\/a>\u00a0stating that it must comply with requests by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its intelligence agencies to access any of their data at any time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>How certain are we that the CCP would demand access to TikTok\u2019s vast reservoirs of data? For one thing, there is reason enough to believe they have<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2023\/03\/28\/china-has-been-waging-a-decades-long-all-out-spy-war\/\">\u00a0<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2023\/03\/28\/china-has-been-waging-a-decades-long-all-out-spy-war\/\">already been doing so<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But beyond that, think strategically. You are at war with a formidable rival and have access to a powerful weapon that could cripple them while minimizing the loss of resources and casualties on your side. The question isn\u2019t why would you use such a weapon; the question is\u00a0<em>why would you not<\/em>?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Let\u2019s visualize an example of the kind of havoc that TikTok could create.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Imagine a nurse named Jeff who works at a major hospital in a big city. Like 150 million other Americans, Jeff has TikTok installed on his phone, and it knows almost everything there is to know about him such as that he\u2019s an avid collector of Funko Pop dolls.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While at work one day, Jeff gets an email from his favorite online retailer promoting a 50 percent off sale on Funko Pop figures. Jeff is ecstatic. He clicks on the ad without a second thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Unfortunately, the email was not really from a retailer. It was a cleverly disguised fake created by Chinese state-sponsored hackers who obtained Jeff\u2019s data from TikTok and have now breached the hospital\u2019s network where he works, gaining access to the protected health information and personally identifiable information of hundreds of thousands of patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There are many sinister ways this data could be exploited for asymmetric warfare. For instance, roughly<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yalemedicine.org\/conditions\/cardiac-pacemaker\">\u00a0<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yalemedicine.org\/conditions\/cardiac-pacemaker\">3 million Americans<\/a>\u00a0have pacemakers. With pacemakers now connected to the internet of medical things, skilled hackers could take control of the devices. Threat actors could also hack into lifesaving hospital devices such as drug pumps and<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/2015\/06\/hackers-can-send-fatal-doses-hospital-drug-pumps\/\">\u00a0<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/2015\/06\/hackers-can-send-fatal-doses-hospital-drug-pumps\/\">deliver fatal dosages<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These are just two among many possibilities, and health care is just one of many critical industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Imagine thousands being targeted across key industries including government, banking, law enforcement, grid infrastructure and supply chain management. While there is\u00a0no evidence\u00a0that the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was the result of cyber-terrorism, threat actors could hack into and sabotage maritime navigation systems, resulting in many such incidents across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the same time this kind of asymmetric warfare is being waged, Chinese intelligence agencies could wage psychological warfare using not just TikTok but every other platform and app that its users are connected to, all of which they have data on thanks to TikTok. Tidal waves of bad information could cause so much chaos that the U.S. would be brought to its knees and unable to mount an effective response. It would be a perfect storm.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>TikTok has been mounting a PR campaign\u00a0urging the public\u00a0to push back against the measure since it passed the House.\u00a0But people should be skeptical about claims by the brand or its CEO that it keeps users\u2019 data safe, especially in light of ex-employees anonymously testifying that this has<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2024\/04\/15\/tiktok-china-data-sharing-bytedance-project-texas\/?showAdminBar=true\">\u00a0not been the case<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Addressing this security risk will be challenging because it involves the issue of civil liberties, a topic that many Americans are understandably sensitive to. But there are arguably situations where the risks to the nation\u2019s security and public safety are simply too great. We therefore can and should implement security measures that are reasonable, temporary and subject to review and change.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s helpful to remember that liberty is never absolute even in the most stable of times. Speed limits, smoking laws and zoning regulations are all examples of balanced limitations placed on liberties for public health and safety.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I agree with the move to sell or ban TikTok. Although it\u2019s not a perfect solution, the threat is just too serious. Even if those measures aren\u2019t implemented, there are ways to address the risk at every level \u2014 personal, organizational and national.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>But the first order of business must be to educate the public about the scale and urgency of the danger as much as possible. And while many Americans<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2023\/07\/10\/majority-of-americans-say-tiktok-is-a-threat-to-national-security\/\">\u00a0recognize TikTok as a threat<\/a>, opinions are largely divided along generational and partisan lines.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"121\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/op2.png?w=600\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4329764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/op2.png?resize=600,121 600w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/op2.png?resize=300,61 300w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/op2.png?resize=50,10 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 600px\"><\/figure>\n<p>The public must understand that this is a nonpartisan issue that affects us all and that lawmakers have acted accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>But we need to hurry. The clock is ticking.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.augusta.edu\/faculty\/directory\/view.php?id=CALBERT\">Craig\u00a0Albert<\/a><\/em><em>, Ph.D., is a professor of political <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> and the graduate director of the<\/em><em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.augusta.edu\/online\/master-of-arts-intelligence-and-security-studies.php\">\u00a0Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies<\/a><\/em><em>\u00a0at<\/em><em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.augusta.edu\/online\/\">\u00a0<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.augusta.edu\/online\/\">Augusta University<\/a><\/em><em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/technology\/4641361-tiktok-is-a-ticking-time-bomb-we-must-defuse-before-its-too-late\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S.-China relations have reached a point where the possibility of a full-blown conflict between the two nations cannot be denied.\u00a0 Clearly, no rational person wants this scenario to occur. But if it does, it\u2019s likely the first \u201cshots fired\u201d would not be through conventional weaponry, but a secret weapon China possesses that even at this&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-619345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=619345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619345\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=619345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=619345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=619345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}