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Chief of US Intelligence alleges that China manipulated TikTok to sway US voters
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, also known as ODNI, alleges that China or its citizens have utilized TikTok to not only meddle with the presidential elections but also to change public perception about China's aggression.
The US intelligence sector has sounded an alarm, asserting that the Chinese government used the well-liked video-sharing app TikTok to sway recent American elections. This information was disclosed in their yearly threat evaluation published on Monday.
The Director of National Intelligence's Office (ODNI), which supervises the 18 intelligence agencies of the U.S and provides a yearly report spotlighting significant threats to the country's interests worldwide, asserted that TikTok, supported by ByteDance, has been manipulating eligible voters to discourage them from participating in a voting group.
The importance of this alert is highlighted as it happens during a voting year, with the House of Representatives preparing to vote on a law targeting ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese-based parent company, to sell off its share in the platform. Non-compliance could lead to TikTok being removed from app stores in the U.S.
The drive for this new law by Congress stems from worries about national security, specifically the possibility of China's government gaining access to U.S. user data via TikTok, and also its potential to manipulate through the platform.
The recent annual report suggests that TikTok profiles, supposedly run by a Chinese disinformation branch, aimed at candidates of both political affiliations during the 2022 US midterms. The report also warned that China could possibly try to sway the 2024 US elections to marginalize China's detractors and intensify societal discord in the United States.
It's not the initial instance of an individual in the US leveling accusations at China or Russia for meddling in their electoral process. China is reportedly equipped with advanced abilities to conduct large-scale undercover influence campaigns and spread false information.
Besides elections, China is also attempting to influence the public conversation in the United States about its territorial claims and issues of sovereignty, particularly in areas such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang.
The report also emphasizes China's surveillance of Chinese students studying overseas for opposing opinions and its impact on research carried out by American scholars and think tank professionals.
The report cautions about a progressively unstable world structure, stressed by nations like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It also points out the pressures from local disputes, revolutionary technologies, and the financial consequences of global warming.
This highlights the continuous rivalry between autocratic and democratic regimes, which has obstructed cooperative strategies to tackle worldwide problems such as global warming. In addition, the rise of new technologies like artificial intelligence and biotechnology is predicted to intensify this rivalry.
A representative from TikTok responded to the accusations by emphasizing that the platform consistently combats misleading actions, including hidden influence networks. They also stated that they have put in place measures to protect their global community during electoral periods.
(Incorporating information from various sources)
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