Trump Says Banning TikTok Won’t Make Americans Safer from China. He May Have a Point
In a surprising shift, former President Donald Trump has downplayed the national security concerns surrounding TikTok, a stance that contradicts his earlier efforts to ban the app over fears of Chinese espionage. “Is it that important for China to be spying on young people? On young kids watching crazy videos?” Trump remarked recently, sparking fresh debate over the effectiveness of banning the app.
Trump’s Changing Perspective on TikTok
In 2020, Trump signed an executive order to ban TikTok, citing risks that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could enable Beijing to spy on Americans, gather sensitive data, or conduct disinformation campaigns. The move was blocked in court, but it set the stage for ongoing scrutiny of TikTok by U.S. lawmakers.
Now, Trump appears less concerned. He has floated the idea of a joint U.S.-China ownership of TikTok, suggesting that such an arrangement could address concerns while preserving the app’s popularity. This marks a stark departure from his earlier position, raising questions about his rationale. Trump himself attributed his change of heart to having personally used the platform.
Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University, offered another perspective. “China’s global influence may have waned compared to five years ago, but that doesn’t fully explain this shift, especially given China’s continued success in espionage,” she said.
Data Privacy Concerns Beyond TikTok
Some cybersecurity experts argue that focusing solely on TikTok might be shortsighted. Eva Galperin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation noted that Chinese entities can easily purchase data from brokers who collect similar information from numerous U.S.-based apps and websites.
“The Chinese government can simply buy U.S. user data from data brokers. It is widely available,” Galperin said. She stressed the need for comprehensive data privacy legislation to limit the types of data companies collect and sell, a measure that would protect Americans more broadly.
While TikTok denies selling data to brokers or giving the Chinese government access, concerns remain about the potential for Beijing to manipulate the app’s algorithm to spread propaganda or disinformation. However, as experts point out, Chinese actors have successfully used U.S.-owned platforms to achieve similar goals.
Challenges of Ensuring Security Through a Sale
Despite ongoing scrutiny, questions remain about whether selling TikTok to a U.S. owner would resolve security concerns. Critics argue that it might be impossible to fully disentangle the platform from its Chinese origins.
“Even with American ownership, it’s a legitimate question whether you can remove Chinese control embedded in the source code,” Kreps explained.
TikTok has made efforts to mitigate concerns, such as storing U.S. user data on Oracle-owned servers and allowing third-party reviews of its systems. Still, skepticism persists.
Balancing Security and Popularity
TikTok’s widespread use, with over 170 million American users, complicates the debate. While Trump has dismissed the app as a platform for “crazy videos,” it plays a significant role in shaping political discourse and public opinion.
Lawmakers continue to view TikTok as a national security risk, citing the potential for China to collect data or influence users. Justice Brett Kavanaugh summarized these concerns during a recent Supreme Court hearing, emphasizing the danger of using data to target future U.S. leaders.
As the debate over TikTok’s fate continues, it highlights broader issues of data privacy and the role of foreign-owned tech platforms in shaping U.S. society. Whether through regulation, ownership changes, or outright bans, the challenge lies in finding a solution that balances security with the freedoms that underpin the digital age.