Declassified Document Suggests Beijing Could Use TikTok to Strengthen Its Influence, According to Canadian Spy Agency

September 24, 2024 TruthUSA

According to a document recently made public, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has expressed concerns that Beijing may be using TikTok, a popular short video streaming application, to enhance its influence, particularly in Canada.

Released as part of the ongoing Foreign Interference Inquiry in 2022, the document highlights worries about TikTok’s data collection practices and its potential impact on democratic processes.

“TikTok, the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) first Western-centric social media application, has the potential to be exploited by the PRC government to bolster its influence and power overseas, including in Canada,” CSIS stated in the Analytical Brief. The redacted version of this top-secret document was released on Sept. 18 as part of the ongoing inquiry into Chinese interference in Canada.

The Epoch Times reached out to TikTok Canada for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

CSIS highlighted that TikTok is a dominant social media platform available in 150 countries with support for 75 languages and over 1 billion monthly active users, including 8 million in Canada.

Data Security

CSIS raised concerns about TikTok’s data collection practices, particularly due to its parent company ByteDance’s obligation to comply with Chinese laws allowing access to Beijing’s intelligence agencies. This, as per CSIS, poses a risk of potential data exploitation for Canadian users and companies.

TikTok gathers a wide range of user information, including biometric data, location details, and device information. CSIS noted that “TikTok [redacted] has access to a significant amount of user data that contains sensitive personal information.”

Despite ByteDance stating that user data is stored in data centres in the United States and Singapore, CSIS pointed to internal documents indicating that data stored internationally may still be accessible from servers in China.

In addition, CSIS mentioned ByteDance’s internal audit team had plans to access GPS location data from specific US users’ devices—without their knowledge or consent—to monitor them for undisclosed purposes.

Censoring Content

CSIS reported that TikTok and ByteDance have engaged in censoring content related to democratic values, as per open-source research.

During the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, ByteDance allegedly failed to remove 90% of disinformation ads, unlike other social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, which successfully blocked the majority, according to CSIS.

Furthermore, TikTok’s algorithm reportedly directed users to content featuring Russian mercenaries in Ukraine, violating guidelines that prohibit content promoting extreme violence.

International Bans

CSIS noted that several countries have restricted or banned TikTok due to security concerns. India, for example, banned TikTok and 300 other Chinese apps in 2020, branding them a threat to its sovereignty and integrity. Countries like Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have imposed restrictions on TikTok’s usage, especially on government devices.

In April, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill mandating ByteDance to sell TikTok within a year or face a ban from mobile app stores and hosting services, aiming to safeguard Americans’ data security and national interests by preventing the Chinese Communist Party from accessing TikTok’s U.S. customer data, according to John Kirby, the White House national security communications advisor.

Canada also prohibited TikTok on government-issued mobile devices as of Feb. 28, 2023. Following the federal ban, provinces and territories have similarly restricted TikTok on their government-issued devices.

Despite these bans, TikTok is moving its China-based employees to Canada and other global positions at an accelerated pace. CSIS highlighted that TikTok has advertised hundreds of job openings in Canada and raised concerns about a TikTok subsidiary opening an office in Toronto’s Liberty Village neighborhood in late 2020.

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