Ukraine calls to ban TikTok due to threat from China
A proposal to ban TikTok in Ukraine has been registered on the Cabinet of Ministers’ Electronic Petitions website. Among the main reasons for the need to block the social network are China’s control of the social network, which helps Russia in its war with Ukraine, and the ease of spreading disinformation on it.
The petition says that the popular user-generated video service TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. Chinese law does not protect private information; on the contrary, the state has the right to use it in the interests of “national security.” “China is openly cooperating and assisting Russia in the war against Ukraine,” and the information provided by Ukrainians can be used to spy on Ukraine in favor of Russia.
Through its influence on the company, the Chinese authorities can put pressure on TikTok to generate disinformation for the Ukrainian population and to distort the perception of Ukraine in other countries. There are reports of censorship of Ukrainian videos and information about the Russian-Ukrainian war on the social network. The presence of a Russian propaganda network on TikTok indicates that it is tolerated by the social network.
The Pentagon claims that China has been using its cyber capabilities for many years to obtain confidential information from US government, private, and industrial institutions. China is cooperating with Russia, which also conducts malicious cyber activities and uses them as an important component of its military strategy, in particular against Ukraine. Blocking TikTok should hinder the hostile cyber activities of both countries.
Currently, there is a law in the United States that requires ByteDance to either sell TikTok within six months or the service will be banned. The company has so far rejected the possibility of a sale and is trying to influence public opinion and officials. In addition, TikTok is banned in government agencies and at the level of individual states.
Also, TikTok does nothing about open disinformation, which was confirmed by experiments by Global Witness researchers during the recent European Parliament elections. Unlike other social networks, TikTok did not reject any of the 16 false ads.
The petition demands that TikTok be blocked on the territory of Ukraine and that the app be banned from being used on the phones of the military, civil servants, and other persons involved in the security of the state. The petition has already been signed by over 9200 Ukrainian citizens.
