Britain’s technology minister, Peter Kyle, has expressed concerns over the potential misuse of data by TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned social media platform. In an interview with The Guardian published Thursday, Kyle revealed his unease about how TikTok could handle the data of millions of UK users.
While the UK has not followed the United States’ lead in banning TikTok, concerns are mounting regarding the platform’s data collection practices and its potential connection to the Chinese government. “I am genuinely concerned about the ownership model of TikTok,” Kyle shared. “I’m genuinely concerned about their use of data, linked to the ownership model.”
Despite these concerns, Kyle acknowledged that TikTok is a “desirable product,” allowing young people the freedom to explore diverse cultures and ideologies.
In contrast, the United States has already passed a law that bans TikTok over fears the Chinese government could exploit the app for spying or influencing public opinion through data manipulation. The US government has given TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, an ultimatum: sell the platform or face a ban, with the deadline extended by 75 days under President Donald Trump.
TikTok, however, maintains its position. A company spokesperson responded to The Guardian, stating, “In the UK, TikTok is provided by a UK-registered company, subject to UK laws and regulated by UK regulators.” They also emphasized that ByteDance is majority-owned by international investors, primarily from the US, and that the Chinese government has no stake in the company. Furthermore, TikTok claimed it has invested £10 billion ($12 billion) into creating a robust data security programme for the UK and Europe.
As the debate over data security intensifies, the future of TikTok remains a topic of global scrutiny.
