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Chief of US Intelligence alleges China manipulated TikTok to sway US electorate
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, otherwise known as ODNI, alleges that China and its citizens manipulated TikTok not only to meddle in the presidential elections, but also to alter public perception of China's assertiveness.
The US intelligence sector has issued an alert indicating that the Chinese government used the well-known video-sharing app TikTok to sway recent US elections. This information was disclosed in its yearly threat evaluation report published on Monday.
The department headed by the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), responsible for supervising the 18 American intelligence agencies and publishing yearly evaluations of prominent global risks to the country, 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 emphasized as it coincides with an election year. The House of Representatives is preparing to vote on a law that intends to force ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to sell its shares in the platform. Non-compliance could lead to TikTok being removed from US app stores.
The push for this proposed law by Congress is driven by worries around national security. They fear that the Chinese government might be able to access data from American users through TikTok and use the platform as a means to carry out manipulative operations.
The report from this year suggests that TikTok profiles, supposedly run by a Chinese propaganda division, aimed at candidates of both political affiliations in the 2022 US midterm elections. It further warned that China may try to sway the 2024 US elections to suppress China's critics and amplify societal rifts in the US.
It's not the inaugural instance of individuals in the US pointing fingers at China or Russia for meddling in their electoral processes. It's believed that China has a heightened ability to conduct widespread secret influence campaigns and spread false information.
Apart from influencing elections, China is also making efforts to mold the conversations in the United States around its autonomy and territories it claims ownership of, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang.
The report also emphasizes China's surveillance of Chinese students studying overseas to monitor opposing opinions and its impact on research carried out by American scholars and think tank professionals.
The report, in a wider scope, alerts about a progressively delicate international system, under pressure due to nations like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Additionally, local disputes, innovative technologies, and the financial consequences of climate change also contribute to the strain.
This highlights the continuous rivalry between autocratic and democratic regimes, which have obstructed combined efforts towards worldwide concerns such as global warming. Furthermore, prospective technologies like artificial intelligence and biotechnology are predicted to intensify this rivalry.
A representative from TikTok commented on the accusations, explaining that the platform consistently fights against misleading activities, such as hidden influence networks. They also mentioned that steps have been taken to protect their global community during election periods.
(Incorporating information from various sources)
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