TikTok

U.S. Government Opens Official National Security Investigation Into TikTok

The inquiry from the Department of Commerce is looking into TikTok’s acquistion of Musical.ly in 2017.

Following outcry from lawmakers, the U.S. government has opened an official national security review into TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, over its acquisition of the music social media app Musical.ly, according to a Reuters report.

As TikTok, a video sharing app, has attracted over 110 million downloads in the U.S., legislators like Sen. Chuck Schumer have called on the intelligence community to investigate how ByteDance stories Americans’ personal data and how the company may be censoring politically sensitive content.

Now, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a part of the Commerce Department, has opened an inquiry into how ByteDance acquired Musical.ly, an American company used by mostly young people to share short music videos. Musical.ly was fully rebranded as TikTok in 2018.

The $1 billion acquisition was completed two years ago, but because ByteDance did not seek clearance from the committee when it acquired Musical.ly, CFIUS has authority to investigate the deal. CFIUS is tasked with “determining the effect of [foreign] transactions on the national security of the United States, according to a department website.

TikTok is in talks with CFIUS about what steps it could take to avoid divesting its Musical.ly assets, according to Reuters reporting. The news outlet said further details of those talks and specific concerns raised by the committee could not be learned as of Friday.

Senators have been speaking out about the potential national security implications of TikTok’s growing user base of young people. About 60 percent of TikTok’s American users are between the ages of 16 and 24, according to the company.

Over the past month, three senators have requested official investigations, including Republicans Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton along with Schumer, the Senate minority leader. Cotton and Schumer sent a letter on Oct. 24 to Joseph Maguire, the acting Director of National Intelligence that raised questions about potential censorship and data security concerns.

“With over 110 million downloads in the U.S. alone, TikTok is a potential counterintelligence threat we cannot ignore,” Schumer and Cotton wrote. “Importantly, security experts have voiced concern that China’s intelligence, national security, and cybersecurity laws compel Chinese companies to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party."

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Allegion, Comfort Technologies Implement Mobile Credentials at the Artisan Apartment Homes in Florida

    Artisan Apartment Homes, a luxury apartment complex in Dunedin, Florida, recently transitioned from mechanical keys to electronic locks and centralized system software with support from Allegion US, a leading provider of security solutions, technology and services, and Florida-based Comfort Technologies, which specializes in deploying multifamily access control, IoT devices and software management solutions. Read Now

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.