Ep 779 | TikTok Is Spying on You: Here’s Why It Matters | Guest: Kara Frederick

Today we're joined by Kara Frederick, director of the Tech Policy Center at the Heritage Foundation, to discuss Congress' recent TikTok hearings and the arguments for and against a nationwide TikTok ban. We discuss how much power China holds over TikTok as a company and what, ultimately, China could do with our data. We talk about how it's not just a concern when it comes to government data and why it's also dangerous for China to have YOUR specific data. We also look at a clip from the TikTok hearing in which TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew cannot deny that the CCP is manipulating content on the app. But does China manipulate TikTok algorithms to push ideologies that weaken the U.S., while restricting those very same ideologies in its own country? We explain why it's naive to think the answer is no. We also talk about the RESTRICT Act, a bill proposed to ban TikTok, and the opposition from both sides of the political aisle.

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Timecodes:

(03:24) Interview begins

(05:20) China taking TikTok data

(09:25) Why should we care about TikTok on our personal phones?

(15:09) What might China do with our data?

(20:15) Does the CCP try to weaken the U.S. through TikTok?

(25:18) RESTRICT Act & TikTok hearings

(31:28) Opposition to the ban & AOC

(39:40) Will the bill pass?

(41:58) CEO of TikTok on CCP manipulation content on the app

(47:25) TikTok's Project Texas

(51:20) What can we do?

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Links:

Heritage Foundation: "TikTok Generation: A CCP Official in Every Pocket" https://www.heritage.org/technology/report/tiktok-generation-ccp-official-every-pocket

RESTRICT Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/686

The Guardian: "US moves forward plan to ban TikTok as AOC joins protests supporting app" https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/mar/27/us-tiktok-ban-aoc-joins-protest

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