The clock is ticking for TikTok as authorities ban looms

The clock has started ticking for tick tock and 4 million federal workers the White House announcing Monday that government agencies have 30 days to delete tick tock from their devices and systems the move comes after the Chinese owned app was banned by Congress on federal devices in December it's all part of a growing backlash tied to.

National Security concerns some experts worry bite dance tick tock's parent company could give the Chinese government access to sensitive user data or manipulate what users in the US see 41 States already have some sort of ban on state-owned devices and networks in effect or under consideration as a result students in places like.

Mississippi Arkansas and Texas have not been able to access tick tock on school networks for weeks I'm 18 we're all 18. like let me share my information with China if I want to like I literally could care less Kate beaverdorf teaches chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin my students share my frustrations they don't like being told what they can.

And cannot do but for Kate the chemist on Tick Tock it's personal I think if there is a federal ban or anything we will all just shift to another platform that allows us to be creative a tick tock executive addressed concerns in a Capitol Hill hearing last year we've also said under no circumstances would we give that data.

To China yet the app remains one of the world's most popular pastimes with more than twice as many downloads over the last decade as its closest rival YouTube a nationwide band for all Americans under consideration by a handful of senators seems unlikely but it has some influencers worried I'm a little terrified.

I'm not built for a real job the prospect has caused some outside Washington to wonder whether Tick Tock really does have too much of our attention so this may actually be a really good time to reconsider your relationship with this app in a statement ticks out called the band political theater and says it hopes.

Congress can find solutions that don't censor millions of Americans meanwhile China also responded to the band overnight saying in part the US government should effectively respect the principles of market economy and Fair competition Jake put this in perspective for us what's the harm here I mean what kind of information is Tick.

Tock collecting from users well all of us you know have had the experience I think who've used Tick Tock of being in that uh Power Group where they have to tell you to go to bed because you've been looking at it so long but you know the cyber security concerns here have to do with how much information is collected it's unlike any other social.

Media app it's going to try and grab your name your phone number your email but it also gets your IP address it probably gets your physical location and it gets a bunch of Biometrics it gets your face it gets your voice you know it is definitely at The Cutting Edge of what can be collected by an app these days as you said in the piece that a lot.

Of people want a full band of tick tock you're shooting some prominent members of Congress is there any precedent for that can that be done I mean aside from the prohibition of alcohol we have not seen that right we schedule a number of harmful drugs but I mean you guys you have to consider right 450 000 Americans die of cigarette smoke every year and we.

Still sell cigarettes in this country we are not a country that bans this kind of thing so it's very unlikely that said this is a chinese-owned company and that seems to have created a lot of political momentum around this issue to be continued on that one yeah still buzzing Jake thank you thanks Jake hey thanks for watching don't miss the Today show.

Every weekday at 11 A.M Eastern 8 Pacific on our streaming Channel today all day to watch head to today.com all day or click the link right here

Sharing is caring!