US’ FCC lauds India for banning TikTok, other Chinese Apps and setting up an important precedent- Technology News, Firstpost

Mehul Reuben DasJan 02, 2023 17:00:39 IST

The commission of the FCC or the Federal Communications Commission of the United States, Brendan Carr said that India India set an “incredibly important precedent” by banning TikTok two and a half years ago and that the US should follow a similar strategy, when dealing with the Chinese tech giant, Bytedance.

Carr warned that TikTok is a very “sophisticated surveillance tool,” and told the Economic Times that banning the social app is a “natural next step” in the US’ efforts to secure their own communication networks. 

The senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission expressed concern that China may use private and sensitive information obtained from TikTok for “surveillance, blackmail, espionage, and foreign influence campaigns.” Evidence has already suggested that the Chinese have tried to influence elections in the US in the past.

Carr’s remarks further indicate a growing push among UD states and lawmakers that are increasingly growing cautious of TikTok, which has amassed over 100 million users in the nation.

“India’s strong leadership has been informative and helpful as we have debated banning TikTok in the US.”. “For those who argue that there is no way to ban an app, India is an example of a country that has done it and done it successfully,” said Carr.

India has banned hundreds of apps, including TikTok, PUBG Mobile, Battlegrounds Mobile India and UC Browser, with affiliation to China in the past two years after skirmishes intensified and grew on the border, after China forced their way into Indian territory, and tried to establish their bases on Indian land.

The Indian government had said it had banned the apps because they posed threats to the “national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India.”

The US House of Representatives banned TikTok on all House-managed devices last week, citing a “high risk due to a number of security issues.” The move follows a bunch of state governments blocking the app from state-managed devices over concern that China could use it to track Americans and censor content.

Just a few weeks ago Bytedance was forced to terminate a total of four emplyees after news broke out that a few employees had been stalking US journalists on TikTok and were accessing their private information, illegally.