TikTok Faces Legal Battle Over Data Privacy and National Security Concerns

The U.S. Justice Department filed documents accusing TikTok and its parent company ByteDance of gathering sensitive user data through their internal system, Lark. The government is concerned about potential covert content manipulation by China. A legal battle over a possible TikTok ban under national security grounds is ongoing.

The Justice Department has intensified its scrutiny of TikTok, accusing the popular social media platform and its parent company, ByteDance, of collecting sensitive user data through an internal system known as Lark. Government documents filed in a federal appeals court in Washington allege that TikTok employees used Lark to relay U.S. user information to ByteDance engineers in China.

Authorities assert that the data, stored on Chinese servers, could be accessed by ByteDance employees, raising concerns about 'covert content manipulation.' The Justice Department claims China could exploit this capability to influence public opinion and compromise national security.

This legal battle could determine TikTok's future in the United States, as a law signed by President Joe Biden may lead to a ban if TikTok fails to sever ties with ByteDance. TikTok, defending itself, argues that a ban would violate the First Amendment and contends the government's claims lack proof. Oral arguments are scheduled for September.

(With inputs from agencies.)