>>MELANIE LAWSON: TIKTOK UNDER FIRE AS LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR A NATIONAL BAN OF THE APP.
TIKTOK PARENT COMPANY BYTE
DANCE IS CHINESE OWNED.
LAWMAKERS SAY THE COMPANY
COULD TURN OVER USERS DATA TO
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. THE
WHITE HOUSE HAS GIVEN SUPPORT
TO A NEW BIPARTISAN SENATE
BILL THAT WOULD GIVE THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION THE POWER TO
BAN TIKTOK IN THE U.S. UNDER
THE NEW PROPOSAL IF THE
COMMERCE SECRETARY DETERMINES
THAT A TRANSACTION POSES OR AN
ACCEPTABLE RISK TO U.S.
NATIONAL SECURITY. IT CAN BE
REFERRED TO THE PRESIDENT FOR
ACTION UP TO AND INCLUDING
FORCE. THEY’VE ESTIMATE NOW
CURRENTLY NEARLY HALF OF ALL
U.S. STATES HAVE BANNED THE
APP ON STATE OWNED DEVICES AND
THAT INCLUDES RIGHT HERE AND
FLORIDA AND GEORGIA. SO
JOINING ME THIS MORNING IS
CHRIS HAMER AND INTERNET AND
NETWORKING SECURITY
CONSULTANT. THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE WITH US. GLAD TO BE
HERE. SO I JUST WANT TO START
WHAT RISK DOES TIKTOK POST?
>> TIKTOK’S PARENT COMPANY
BYTE FUNCTIONS UNDER THE ARM
OF THE CHINESE IN 2017. THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT MANDATED
THAT ANY TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
OPERATING WITHIN THEIR
UMBRELLA. WE’RE OBLIGATED TO
TURN OVER ANY REQUESTED DATA
THAT’S INDISPUTABLE. IF
CHINESE GOVERNMENT SAYS I WANT
INFORMATION ON THIS USER, THIS
LOCATION, THEY HAVE TO TURN IT
OVER. SO ALREADY THERE’S A
SECURITY CONCERN. BEING THAT
THE SOFTWARE IS INSTALLED AND
IS CAPABLE OF TRACKING WITH
METER IT KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE
THE DEVICES WHEN YOU FIRST
INSTALL IT REQUESTS ACCESS TO
REQUESTS DEMANDS ACCESS TO
YOUR CONTACTS LIST, YOUR
CAMERA, YOU’RE MICROPHONE AND
IS CAPABLE OF BEING TURNED ON
AND OFF REMOTELY WITHOUT A
CANNOT WIN WITHOUT YOU
ACKNOWLEDGING IN ANY WAY. SO
THAT IN ITSELF POSES A
SECURITY RISK IN THE THE
PROBLEM IS IT’S A BALANCE
BETWEEN WHAT IS AND WHAT AND
AS A SECURITY CONSULTANT. YOU
HAVE TO LOOK AT BOTH AND SEE
WHAT’S FEASIBLE WAS PROBABLE
WAS POSSIBLE AND THEN MAKE A
DETERMINATION. AND
REALISTICALLY, THE GOVERNMENT
HAS DETERMINED THAT THIS IS A
RISK. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
THEY CAN’T CONTROL WHERE THE
DATA GOES. THEY CAN’T CONTROL
WHEN THE APP IS TURNED ON. SO
THEY’RE ONLY VIABLE ROUTE IS
TO SIMPLY RESTRICT A
DEPLOYMENT OF THE OUT OF THE
APPLICATION WITHIN OUR BORDERS
AND ON OUR DEVICES.
>> AND LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THAT RESTRICTION. HOW
CAN A BAD BE ENFORCED BY THE
GOVERNMENT?
>> IF YOU DON’T ON THE DEVICE,
THE GOVERNMENT CAN SIMPLY SAY
IT’S OUR DEVICE. YOU CAN’T
INSTALL THE SOFTWARE ON IT. IF
YOU ARE OPERATING ON A
GOVERNMENT FACILITY OR
SOMEWHERE WHERE IT’S PUBLIC
PROPERTY, THEY CAN RESTRICT
WHAT APPLICATIONS YOU HAVE ON
YOUR DEVICE OR TELL YOUR TURN
IT OFF OR SIMPLY NOT ALLOW YOU
TO BRING ON PROPERTY.
>> AND GIVING USERS ON TIKTOK
ARE WHERE OF THE PERSONAL DATA
AND INFORMATION THAT THEY’RE
ACTUALLY SHARING WITHIN THE
APP. THEY HAVE NO IDEA.
>> AND THE USERS ON TIKTOK OR
NOT THE CLIENT, THEY’RE THE
COMMODITY. THEY’RE BEING SOLD
AS ADVERTISEMENT RESOURCE A
MONETARY TRANSACTIONS IT’S
APPEALING AND CATERING TO A
SHORT ATTENTION SPAN AND
ORPHANED DRIVEN CROWD OF
PEOPLE THAT WANT THE INSTANT
GRATIFICATION OF A OF A OF A
HIT EITHER BEING POPULAR WHEN
THEY SEE THEIR VIEW COUNT GO
UP THAT THAT RENO REINFORCES
SEROTONIN HIT AND FOR THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING AND
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY’RE PART OF
A COMMUNITY, EVEN THOUGH IT’S
THERE’S NO CONNECTION AT ALL.
>> AND I KNOW WE ONLY HAVE A
FEW SECONDS LEFT, BUT I WANTED
TO TOUCH ON A POINT THAT YOU
AND I BEFORE WE STARTED JUST
NOW YOU’RE SAYING SOMEONE
WOULD POST AN UPLOAD YOU HAVE
THE APPLE ACTS FOR ACCESS TO
YOUR CAMERA, WHAT TYPE OF
THREAT DOES THAT POSE?
>> IF YOU DON’T CONTROL WHEN
IT TURNS ON YOUR MICROPHONE
AND CAMERA, THEN IT CAN RECORD
ANYTHING IN PROXIMITY TO YOU
WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE. AND IN
2017 BYTE DANCE AND AGREED TO
ABIDE BY THE CHINESE DEMAND
THAT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO
FUNCTION, THEY ARE OBLIGATED
TO TURN OVER ANY DATA THAT THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT REQUESTS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHRIS