TikTok Looks to Highlight its Value to the US Financial system, Amid Ongoing Debate About Banning the App

With the risk of a US ban looming, TikTok is trying to underline its worth to the US economic system, by way of a brand new initiative by way of which the platform will spotlight how SMBs are utilizing the app to join with their prospects, and the group, to construct their enterprise.

The brand new ‘TikTok Sparks Good’ docu-series will share a variety of quick tales ‘that remember the various and inspirational creator success that transcend past TikTok to create actual life change’. 

Which, ostensibly, celebrates these creators and the successes that they’re seeing in the app. Nevertheless it’s additionally a reasonably clear automobile by way of which to probably sway to US regulators who could also be contemplating whether or not to ban the app.

And TikTok’s laying it on pretty thick:

“TikTok is a spot the place People can remodel not solely their very own lives, however the lives of others. From first technology kids saving their dad or mum’s small companies to creators rallying the group to help our veterans, TikTok is the place anybody can construct group, join, educate, and create financial alternative. We’re amazed by the energy of the TikTok group and the way it makes the platform a catalyst for good.”

I imply, that’s not not true, however at the identical time, TikTok has additionally been the supply of a variety of harmful trends, unfavourable psychological impacts for teens, exploitation, misinformation, and many others.

Whether or not the platform is a internet constructive or unfavourable isn’t totally clear – whereas that query inside itself isn’t a part of the evaluation as to whether or not TikTok needs to be allowed to proceed working in the US both approach.

That comes down to the app’s hyperlinks to China, and the provisions with China’s cybersecurity legal guidelines which stipulate that Chinese language-owned companies should share consumer information with the CCP on request.

There’s nothing to counsel that the CCP has requested akin to but, nor that TikTok has supplied it. However the concern is that TikTok could possibly be used as a software for spying on US residents, through the use of TikTok information to monitor their actions, or glean private details about customers so as to use that as leverage.

For the most half, that will seem to be a lesser concern – why would the Chinese language Authorities need to goal folks based mostly on their hokey TikTok clips?

However it may be an issue.

Late final yr, it was revealed that representatives from TikTok’s dad or mum firm ByteDance had used TikTok information to track the movements of US journalists, in a bid to uncover which ByteDance staff could also be leaking information to the press.

As reported by The Financial Times:

“Over the summer time, 4 staff on the ByteDance inner audit group regarded into the sharing of inner data to journalists. Two members of employees in the US and two in China gained entry to the IP addresses and different private information of FT journalist Cristina Criddle, to work out if she was in the proximity of any ByteDance staff, the firm stated.”

That is the key concern round the misuse of TikTok information, and on this context, the growing bans of the app on government-owned devices is smart, as that could possibly be used as a vector to monitor folks’s actions, and monitor who they’re assembly with.

For presidency staff, who could also be in possession of delicate data, there’s a transparent threat right here. So whereas it might not seem to be a significant concern to the on a regular basis TikTok consumer who’s posting random jokes and dance clips, there’s a extra sinister factor, which could possibly be of concern, particularly amid rising tensions between China and varied different nations.

So whereas TikTok is doing all that it may possibly to spotlight its worth, it’s really extra of an apart, and probably not related to the focus of the broader ban discussions.

However that does seem to be the focus right here. And whereas it’s fascinating to observe the varied methods wherein TikTok has helped these SMBs, it appears pretty clear what the intention is on this respect.

Both approach, you may tune into the new ‘TikTok Sparks Good’ tales here, which may encourage you to help these companies, or provide you with new concepts to your personal TikTok promotion efforts.