The FTC is investigating TikTok|Anthony Quintano|CC BY 2.0
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly looking into TikTok’s data security and privacy practices, focusing on possible violations of child privacy laws, CNN reported yesterday.
The probe compounds the platform’s existing challenges, including the threats of a US ban or a forced separation from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Additionally, tensions surrounding the potential ban have increased threat calls to lawmakers in Washington, with North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis’s office receiving around 1,000 calls regarding the app this month.
Along with it, the debate over the difference between TikTok in China and the US has also intensified.
Differences in app versions
Critics allege ByteDance tailored a more addictive version of the app for the American market, contrasting it with its Beijing counterpart, Douyin.
They add that the modified Douyin offers more educational content.
Differences in content between TikTok and Douyin become more noticeable when considering young users, with China implementing stricter regulations on internet use among children.
It is a stark contrast to the relatively permissive US regulatory environment.
What’s next for TikTok?
The House passed the ban or sell TikTok legislation in early March, but the Senate faces hurdles in reaching a consensus on regulating the tech industry.
Some senators support the bill, citing national security concerns, while others fear overregulation and the potential backlash from millions of young TikTok users.