TikTok’s Data Security Censorship and Predatory Business Practices Presentation at GNSI’s First Tampa Summit

Text the ATB Team! We'd love to hear from you!

At the first GNSI Tampa Summit, Tom Waters, the Assistant Director of Startups and Business Development at the USF Technology Transfer Office, presented a compelling case as to why one of the world's most popular social media apps, TikTok, has leaped to #1 on the U.S. Most Wanted List and has drawn the ire of the U.S. government. TikTok, and its Chinese parent company ByteDance, are under investigation by the U.S. Senate for predatory business practices.

TikTok has over 170 million users in the U.S. alone and is one of the greatest startups in the modern era. The app and parent company, however, are facing increased scrutiny and investigations around the globe. The app is banned in several countries for its questionable data handling practices, potential national security risks, and ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Tom Waters is the Assistant Director of Start Ups and Business Development at the USF Technology Transfer Office, part of USF Research and Innovation.

=================

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

Look for our other publications and products on our website publications page.