The social app dividing the world

HOW did TikTok, an app that features people dancing, become entangled in the cross-hairs of global tensions between the US and China?

TikTok has sparked major cybersecurity and privacy concerns in the West.

Data and national security threats top the list, with many countries such as the US, UK, Australia and Canada banning the app on government devices while a handful of countries like India and Afghanistan have banned TikTok completely.

Despite its cybersecurity and privacy controversies, the Chinese-owned app has been successful in Southeast Asia, transforming from a mere entertainment platform to a thriving e-commerce hub. Its CEO, Shou Zi Chew, revealed the company will invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia but remained tight-lipped about the detailed breakdown of the spending plan.

Chew also promised to keep political advertisements away from the platform to honour freedom of expression with “serious integrity”, after observing issues during elections in numerous countries.

Barring TikTok may simply fragment the web, leading to a divided internet where nations increasingly seek to limit and control online spaces.

But experts see a simple solution; greater data transparency and user control.