Forbes obtained a trove of internal documents showing how ByteDance tracks “sensitive words” mentioned on its social media apps. Hundreds of vocabulary lists housed in the company’s “detection tool” illustrate the range of political, social and cultural topics that the Chinese giant is monitoring or suppressing.
By Alexandra S. Levine, Forbes Staff
Most major social media companies have rules and tools that control what people on their apps can and cannot see. Generally, they’re in place to track different types of content and keep dangerous or illegal material off their platforms—like posts dealing with terrorism, abuse and suicide.
TikTok parent ByteDance is no different. But the Chinese company’s content moderation and monitoring appears to go far beyond what’s standard among American peers like Alphabet-owned YouTube and Meta-owned Instagram.
A Forbes investigation into TikTok and ByteDance revealed that a ByteDance tool, run by staff in China, is tracking mentions of what it considers “sensitive words” across the company’s products. In some cases, where words are marked “must kill,” “forbidden” or “prohibited,” ByteDance may be blocking related posts altogether. The tool is also aiming to track every time one of these words comes up—recording who said it and where they’re located, including for people in the United States.
The Chinese government has targeted people in the U.S. who’ve spoken out against it online, but experts have warned that the average American can be naive about how far their words can travel on the internet, who may be watching and the potential consequences.
ByteDance’s library of “sensitive words,” which are organized into thousands of vocabulary lists, “is proof-positive that there are specific things that they are concerned about and they want to monitor who was saying them, when and how often,” William Evanina, the former head of counterintelligence for the U.S. government, told Forbes.
"They're not just collecting it for collection's sake,” he added.
Forbes obtained internal documents showing hundreds of the word lists housed in this “detection tool” and is publishing them in full below. While this collection of word lists is not exhaustive and there are undoubtedly more in ByteDance’s system, they illustrate the range of political, social and cultural topics that ByteDance is keeping an eye on or suppressing.
ByteDance declined to comment on what these hundreds of lists mean, how or where they are applied, and who created them. Spokesperson Jennifer Banks said only that “there are separate and distinct keyword tools used for different products, each with strict permissions and access controls that enable a select few people within each product or platform to manage or add to them.”
TikTok spokesperson Jamie Favazza said that “we believe many of these list titles have translation errors and are not relevant to TikTok.” (More than 50 that she confirmed are used on the platform, for safety purposes, are noted below.) “Regardless of wordlist names, TikTok's keyword platform operates separately from Douyin's and other China market products, with separate code, separate databases, and is maintained by separate personnel.”
"As a responsible platform, TikTok uses wordlists to help protect our community from hate speech, misinformation, and other harmful content,” Favazza added after publication. “The majority of the list names Forbes provided to us are not used on TikTok, and anyone can easily see content about those topics is available on TikTok through a simple search on the app."
[Editorial note: A handful of list names were partially cut off in documentation reviewed by Forbes. In those cases, numbers were omitted or hyphens have been added.]
CHINA & POLITICS
Lists about Chinese power or culture
At TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s first-ever testimony before Congress, he told lawmakers under oath that “we do not promote or remove content at the request of the Chinese government.” Word lists in ByteDance’s “sensitive words” tool appear to deal with content that Beijing would likely disapprove of—including language critical of China’s government, military, leaders and history. TikTok denied any of the below have ever been used on TikTok.
2346-Tiktok IM Party and Government Negative Word-
Party, government and military negative core words
504 - negative core words of the party, government
505-Name of Government Agency
777-Party and Government Negative Words List
978-Special prohibited words for Xi and Peng
773-Xi Peng variant vocabulary
774-Mao Deng Jianghu and its variants
975-Leader Preference Targeted Prohibited Words
981 - Leader Relatives Orientation Prohibited Words
2391-FS Project-Xi Peng-Neutral & Negative Inaccurate
2392-FS Project - Party, Government and Military Relat-
1673-FS Project - Universal (Core Leader/Kind Variant)
1255-FS Project - Fraud User Glossary
2389-FS Project- June 4th Related-Negative Inaccurate
956-June 4 must-kill word list
1312-Vertical June 4th Special Review Speech
1482-Falun Gong
2535-Thematic Strategy for China’s Strategic Policy
Lists that mention “Taiwan” or “Hong Kong”
Taiwan and Hong Kong have long represented two of the largest threats to the Chinese Communist Party and authoritarian rule because they enjoy considerable autonomy from mainland China and are democratic in their ideals. Under Xi Jinping, Hong Kong has seen a fierce crackdown on pro-democracy activists and other challengers of his regime, prompting anti-government protests in recent years. Taiwan’s own push for independence has repeatedly prompted retaliation from the Chinese military (most recently, in April, after Taiwanese and American leaders met on U.S. soil). The island has long been at the center of a geopolitical tug-o-war between the U.S. and China, and some fear it could be at the heart of a war between the superpowers in the future. TikTok denied any of the below have ever been used on TikTok.
3034-Local Life-Taiwan Independence & Hong Kong Independence & Tibet Independence & Xinjiang Independence
1140-Hong Kong-related special vocabulary for live bro-
1861-Live China and Taiwan Title Activity Vocabulary
2284-High-risk phrases in Taiwan emergency queue
2180-Prohibited artist words in music in Taiwan
2120-Taiwan’s emergency queue in the live broadcast
2220-Taiwan Blind Box Kaiping Comment Blocking Voc-
2642-High-risk Adjuvant Vocabulary for Taiwan Emerg-
2753-Taiwan-related theming (title)
2758-Taiwan-related theming (comment)
2758-Taiwan-related theming (review)
2776-im Taiwan sensitive word test
Lists about geopolitics
As tensions intensify between the U.S. and China and other authoritarian adversaries, some lists in the tool could shape global discourse around American politics, U.S.-China relations and war in Ukraine and Russia or other parts of the world. TikTok denied any of the below have ever been used on TikTok.
977-Trump Directed Prohibited Words
982-Sino-US trade directional prohibited words
508-North Korea-related core words
976-Putin Directed Prohibited Words
2350-Interactive Russian-Ukrainian Tag Temporary Vo-
623 - Current Leader Words
1632-G Leaders’ Special Retracement Speech
2007-G-Competitor block word list
503-separatist forces core words
2749-LS Theming - Coup, War (title)
2754-LS Theming - Coup, War (Review)
3253-im Private Chat Politics-related Active Control
MARGINALIZED GROUPS
Lists that mention “Tibet”
Tibet, governed as an autonomous region of China, is similarly viewed as a threat by the Chinese government. Beijing’s persecution of Tibetans—and efforts to quash their political, religious and cultural freedoms—is well documented by the State Department and human rights groups. That has included the jailing of supposed dissidents (everyone from teachers to musicians to religious leaders) and restrictions on freedom of expression in the media and online. TikTok denied any of the below have ever been used on TikTok.
2553-Tiktok audio sensitive words in Tibet region
2553-Audio Sensitive Words in Douyin Tibet Region (P-
2471-Tibetan Blocked Words for Douyin Comments
1486-Toutiao Tibetan Poetry Risk Vocabulary
3034-Local Life-Taiwan Independence & Hong Kong Independence & Tibet Independence & Xinjiang Independence
Lists that mention “Uyghur” (also spelled “Uighur”) or “Xinjiang”
Uyghurs, an ethnic minority living primarily in China’s Xinjiang region, have been the victim of Chinese genocide. China has in recent years built a sprawling operation of internment camps and fortified detention centers across Xinjiang, where Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been subject to torture and a range of human rights abuses. The U.S. government has labeled the yearslong escalation a “genocide,” while the U.N. Human Rights Office has in the last year described violations as potential “crimes against humanity.” Reports have also shown a rise in forced marriages between Uyghur women and Han men (China’s ethnic majority), calling these partnerships “forms of gender-based crimes that violate international human rights standards and further the ongoing genocide.”
TikTok said none of the below word lists referencing 'Uyghur' are used on TikTok. “TikTok's policies prohibit claims that Uyghur camps in China don't exist or are fake,” Favazza said in a statement. “However, content that is educational or raises awareness about Uyghur camps is allowed on TikTok. One of the ways we enforce this policy is through keywords.”
2470-Tiktok comment Uighur blocked word
2528 - Theming Strategies of Uyghur-Han Couples (Tit-
2540-Uyghur and Han Couples Theming Strategies
2798-IM Uyghur private letter review word list
3245-Uighur Audio Review Vocabulary-Uyghur
2103-Special vocabulary related to Xinjiang
3244-Xinjiang Region Audio Review Vocabulary
718-Sensitive words in Douyin videos in Xinjiang (prelim-
3034-Local Life-Taiwan Independence & Hong Kong Independence & Tibet Independence & Xinjiang Independence
SCIENCE & CULTURE
Lists about science and medicine
Some lists in the tool seem to monitor conversations around China and the Covid-19 pandemic. They appear to reference one epicenter of the outbreak—the east China city of Putian—as well as a “leaked experiment” and pangolins, a species of mammal that early on was rumored to be responsible for spreading the coronavirus from animals to humans. TikTok denied any of the below have ever been used on TikTok.
2894-2196ab Leaked Experiment Vocabulary
2895-1880ab Vocabulary for Missing Experiments
2896-2561ab Omission Experiment Vocabulary
2897-2560ab Leaked Experiment Vocabulary
2898-1168ab Leaked Experiment Vocabulary
2715-Pangolin Title Sensitive Vocabulary
1532-Putian Hospital Vocabulary
2654-Medical Special Review Vocabulary
3031-Medical Related
3035-ugc Medical Audit Highlights
3041-Medical
3283-Medical ASR black word
3285-Medical Title Black Thesaurus
Lists about global culture
Some lists in the tool appear to be concerned with free expression in autonomous parts of China and beyond—across the West. They deal with everything from music, poetry and books to sports leagues and pro-athletes (the NBA, World Cup and soccer player Mesut Özil). They also touch on the stock market, real estate and foreign languages and cultures. TikTok denied any of the below have ever been used on TikTok.
1539-Words banned from the media (other)
2180-Prohibited artist words in music in Taiwan
1486-Toutiao Tibetan Poetry Risk Vocabulary
997-Spirit Dog Added Poetry Vocabulary
1983-FS Project-Special “Night Watchman” Vocabulary
2288-Fizzo Erotica List
1808-NBA Copyright Glossary
3481-Qatar World Cup Official Cooperation Exemption
3487-Qatar World Cup Characteristic Words
2778 - Ozil Theming Strategy (Title)
2779-Ozil Theming Strategies (Review)
1582-hebrew_sensitive_text
2538-Islamic Theming Vocabulary (Review)
2526-Backpack-Islamic Theming Glossary (Title)
517-regional group black
2765 - Sicilian Business Vocabulary
983-Stock Market Orientation Prohibited Words
1802-Specially sensitive words in real estate content in-
1803-Specially sensitive words in real estate content in-
COMPANIES
Lists about ByteDance rivals
Several lists viewed by Forbes concern TikTok’s biggest competitor in the U.S., YouTube, as well as products from ByteDance’s fiercest challengers in China—including Alibaba’s cloud software Aliyun and Tencent’s messaging app WeChat. TikTok denied any of the below have ever been used on TikTok.
1618-YouTube Domestic Surveillance
1710-TikTok-Twitter public opinion keywords
476-aliyun_sensitive_test
Wechat business control words
1058-Fly chat group search block
1060-Fly chat user search blocking
1061-Search blocking for users in Feichat group
1123-Flychat file name forbidden words
Lists that mention “Douyin” and other ByteDance products or companies
While some of the ByteDance word lists directly cite TikTok, others explicitly mention the Chinese version of the app, Douyin, which is heavily censored by the Chinese government. The lists also reference ByteDance’s news service Toutiao, music-streaming platform Resso and workplace software Lark (known as Feishu in China), among other products past and present. TikTok denied any of the below have ever been used on TikTok.
718-Sensitive words in Douyin videos in Xinjiang (prelim-
2471-Tibetan Blocked Words for Douyin Comments
2553-Audio Sensitive Words in Douyin Tibet Region (P-
1486-Toutiao Tibetan Poetry Risk Vocabulary
2817-Toutiao’s private letter abuse risk warning words
1593-Qingbei Online School User Feedback Keywords
1599-Dali Desk Lamp User Feedback Keywords
1830-Xingfuli Agent Questions and Answers Sensitive
1592-Guagualong Enlightenment User Feedback Keywords
1928-Resso-GP Feedback Matching Vocabulary
Testing Lark
858-Company Product Negative Sensitive Vocabulary
Lists that mention “TikTok” (also “TT”) or “U.S.”
Forbes found almost 100 lists in the tool with “TikTok” or “U.S.” in their name—some concerned with language critical of the Chinese government or blocked speech about persecuted Uyghurs. TikTok denied that about half of them had ever been applied to its platform, suggesting many could be the result of translation errors from Chinese to English. (See below for those the company confirmed.) Favazza, the TikTok spokesperson, said access to TikTok’s word lists is controlled by TikTok’s trust and safety team and that any changes to those lists goes through a U.S. team member. Internal materials show that employees in China are also among those managing some TikTok lists.
LISTS THAT TIKTOK SAID WERE NOT USED ON TIKTOK:
2346-Tiktok IM Party and Government Negative Word-
2553-Tiktok audio sensitive words in Tibet region
2470-Tiktok comment Uighur blocked word
TikTok Japanese Comments Suppress Words
1710-TikTok-Twitter public opinion keywords
1565-Tiktok Government Affairs Media Topic Vocabulary
1688-Tik Tok Burmese Vocabulary
1283-Tiktok pedophile specific words
1420-Tiktok group chat pornographic blocking vocabulary
1426-Tik Tok Porn Drainage Recognition Vocabulary
2186-Tiktok Single Male & Celebrity Themed Vocabulary
2271-Tiktok Sensitive Person Theme Vocabulary (Title)
2272-Tiktok Sensitive Person Themed Vocabulary (Co-
2780-Tiktok push-sensitive people/prohibited audio
1507-Tiktok pretending to be a celebrity name list
2231-Tik Tok-Data impersonation-Special List Policy P-
2232-Tik Tok-Data impersonation-Political Media Account
2234-Tiktok-Data impersonation-Strategic protection
120-TikTok Private Message Sensitive Words
2746-Tiktok Xiaoan Private Message Sensitive Word Fil-
838-TikTok special activity—Comment review first (p-
1585-TikTok Special Events-Comment Full Review Voc-
2109-Tiktok comment bottom word list
2548-TikTok Historical Nothingness Video Recall Vocab-
839-TIkTok Special Event—Video First Review (Prelim-
1576-TikTok Video Title No. 1 Itinerary Special Vocabulary
2196-TikTok video title & nip review + word list release
2416-Tiktok video title & nip release + must-kill word list
2561- TikTok long video title & nip review + word list re-
2597-TikTok long video title & nip release + kill word list
1807-TikTok Audio Review Keyword Prompt
679-Tik Tok Hot Search Filter Words
84-Prohibited words for TikTok user nicknames
457-Tiktok corporate private letter sensitive words
635-User Feedback Filter Did/Uid-Tik Tok
946-Tiktok user nickname is not recommended word list
1075-User Feedback Filter Words-Tik Tok Red Packet
1159-Tiktok user feedback keywords
1403-TikTok POI Blocking Vocabulary (Activity)
1455-Tiktok high-risk prohibited word list (queue high-)
1490-Tiktok report user feedback keywords
1542-TikTok-Tns user feedback keywords
1653-Tiktok Topic Graded Vocabulary (Personal Review)
1798-TT Feedback Algorithm Matching Keywords
1820-Tiktok poi No. 1 itinerary special vocabulary
1843-Tiktok Live No. 1 itinerary special vocabulary
1981-Tik Tok Collection Title Prohibited Words List (Co-
2139-Tiktok commercialization snapshot review queue
2201-TikTok Special Time Node Themed Vocabulary (T-
2202-TikTok Special Time Node Themed Vocabulary-
2725-Vocabulary for TikTok special area titles to be rev-
2874-Tik Tok Emergency Response-Topic Automatic P-
(US 1707)DM - Grayscale test wordlist
LISTS THAT TIKTOK CONFIRMED ARE USED ON TIKTOK FOR SAFETY REASONS:
1327-(US 570) MT_User Profile Tier1 Wordlist
577-MT_Search filter Words (User)
1333-(US 577)MT_Search Tier1 Words (User)
579-MT_Search ban Words (Hashtag)
1335-(US 579) MT_Search ban Words (Hashtag)
908-Hatespeeech PSA Ban Search (All)
1344-(US 908) Hate. PSA Ban Search (All)
909-Hatespeech PSA Ban Search (Music
1345-(US 909) Hates PSA Ban Search (Music)
932 - tiktok-m personalized push sensitive vocabulary
990-General PSA Ban Search List (All)
1348-(US 990) General PSA Ban Search (ALL)
991-General PSA Ban Search (Music)
1349-(US 991) General PSA Ban Search (Music)
1041-Ban Search Suicide & Self Harm
1352-(US 1041) Ban Search Suicide Wordlist
1080-TT-Search Sug Auto-Remove Words
1353-(US 1080) Search Sug Sensitive Wordlist
1150-User Feedback-Overseas Bulk Reply
1243-MT-DM Ban Words List
1275-MT-Search Sug Whitelist
(US 1293) NLP Urgent Support Words List
1322-(US) musical.ly_emergency words
1417-ED Ban Search List
1481-(US 1417) ED Ban Search List
1548-(US)DM Adult wordlist-T1
1554-TT Anti-semitic Search Ban wordlist
2010-(US 1554) TT Anti-semitic Search Ban word list
1700-TT Search Suicide T2 wordlist
1734-TT Distressing Search Reminder Wordlist
1737-(US 1734) TT Distressing Search Reminder Wordlist
1735-TT Inappropriate Search Reminder Wordlist
1738-(US 1735)TT Inappropriate Search Reminder Wordlist
1736-TT Anti wildlife trafficking Search wordlist
1739-(US 1736)TT Antiwildlife trafficking wordlist
1791-TT Project Survivor SearchBan wordlist
1792-(US 1791)TT Project Survivor Search Ban wordlist
1793-TT Sug Variants moderation word
1886-TT Search Aid-Dangerous challenges wordlist
1889-(US1886)-TT Search Aid-Dangerous challenges wordlist
1887-TikTok Search Aid-SSH Hoaxes wordlist
1888-(US1887)TikTok Search Aid-SSH Hoaxes wordlist
1975-TT Search Aid-CSAM wordlist
1976-(US1975)TT Search Aid-CSAM wordlist
2111-TT-Search Sug-Variant Seed Wordlist
(US 2193) TikTok suggested search inter-
2297-(US 2193)TikTok suggested search intervention wordlist
2291-SEA Personalized Candidate Words Black Words List
2292-TikTok User Profile Enqueue Wordlist
TikTok Search Result Layered Intervention
TikTok Q&A question automatic takedown
MT_Comment Auto-remove words
Trust+Safety lists common to major social media companies
To protect social media users, most major social media platforms—including TikTok—have policies and tools aimed at filtering out content and language that is violent, vulgar or illegal.
908-Hatespeeech PSA Ban Search (All)
1041-Ban Search Suicide & Self Harm
1432-Bullying/harassment
1433-Misinformation/Media manipulation
1434-Terrorists & criminal organizations
1439-Political
1623 - Children’s Soft Porn OCR Vocabulary
child porn_one_level
child porn_two_level
2282-tf-idft word v2 9014 harassment
2284-tf-idf word v2 0914 misinformation
2286-tf-idft word v2 0914 suicide
2289-tf idf word v2 09114 misinformation new method
771 - Full text review of false content
772 - False content title for review
Miscellaneous lists in the tool
The meaning of many lists in the tool is unclear, and some appear to be more technical or related to the basic functioning of ByteDance apps. Still, many of these lists contain words that are “forbidden,” “banned,” “high-risk” or “sensitive.”
1173-Intelligent Monitoring Alarm Sensitive Vocabulary
1318-Forbidden word list
1523-Forbidden Word List-BR
2589-Private letter abduction vocabulary list
2284-High-risk phrases for emergency queues in live b-
high risky words
1838-xxxx sensitive words
1147-SMS activates sensitive words
1260-G-Global Distribution Nickname Sensitive
849-Search Operation Push Word Vocabulary
Feedback Form - Access Party Diversion
816-User Feedback Filter Region-X Project
812-X Project User ID Banned Words
815-X Project Vocabulary (Row-inducing words)
1179-DMT Virtual Vocabulary
1512-mt_web
1513-mt_transitive
658-M_ban
M-Review
3032 - Inferior Marketing
3033 - Marketing Sense
3036 - test grayscale
3037-dry
2298-Live comment AB test
3276 - Test openAPI
peadar test 15test test test test test test
2285-tf-idf word v2 0914 ansa
This story has been updated to provide additional comment from TikTok.
Emily Baker-White contributed reporting.
MORE FROM FORBES
MORE FROM FORBESTikTok Parent ByteDance's 'Sensitive Words' Tool Monitors Discussion Of China, Trump, UyghursBy Alexandra S. LevineMORE FROM FORBESIndia Banned TikTok In 2020. TikTok Still Has Access To Years Of Indians' DataBy Alexandra S. LevineMORE FROM FORBESTikTok's China ProblemBy Emily Baker-WhiteMORE FROM FORBESHow A TikTok Ban Would Deal A Blow To Creators, Businesses And The American EconomyBy Alexandra S. LevineMORE FROM FORBESSecurity Failures At TikTok's Virginia Data Centers: Unescorted Visitors, Mystery Flash Drives And Illicit Crypto MiningBy Emily Baker-White
FAQs
Is ByteDance and TikTok the same? ›
On 9 November 2017, ByteDance acquired Shanghai-based social media start-up Musical.ly for up to US$1 billion. They combined it and prior acquisition Flipagram into TikTok on 2 August 2018, keeping the TikTok name.
Does TikTok watch you? ›23.12. 2022 update: be very careful because TikTok employees actually have the ability to track your location if you use the app. On December 22, ByteDance admitted that four of their employees used the app as a surveillance method for journalists who reported on TikTok's ties with the Chinese government.
Does TikTok sell your data? ›We are committed to maintaining your trust, and while TikTok does not sell your personal information or share your personal information with third parties for purposes of cross-context behavioral advertising where restricted by applicable law, we want you to understand when and with whom we may share the Information We ...
Who is the owner of TikTok? ›Zhang Yiming is the main founder of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, best known for its insanely popular app TikTok, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide.
Is TikTok owned by China? ›TikTok, which has over 150 million American users, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd., which appoints its executives. ByteDance is based in Beijing but registered in the Cayman Islands, as is common for privately owned Chinese companies.
Is TikTok banned in China? ›TikTok is fighting to stay alive in the United States as pressure builds in Washington to ban the app if its Chinese owners don't sell the company. But the wildly popular platform, developed with homegrown Chinese technology, isn't accessible in China.
Can TikTok see everything on your phone? ›In summary, these permissions allow TikTok to: Access the camera (and take pictures/video), the microphone (and record sound), the device's WIFI connection, and the full contact list on the device. Determine if the internet is available and access it.
Will TikTok really show you who viewed your videos? ›So, does TikTok show who viewed your video? Unfortunately, TikTok no longer shows viewers' usernames, as we have seen throughout this article. However, the rich insights available in TikTok Analytics can help you know more about your viewers' demographics.
How do I stop TikTok from tracking me? ›- In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
- Tap the Menu button at the top.
- Tap Settings and privacy.
- Tap Privacy, then tap Location Services .
- Choose a location access permission for TikTok.
“We do not collect body, face or voice data to identify our users.” So does the Chinese government have access to any of what TikTok collects? TikTok says it has not shared American user data with the Chinese government, nor would it do so if asked.
How does the Chinese government use TikTok? ›
The Chinese government has the ability to control the software on millions of devices by virtue of its relationship with TikTok's owner, ByteDance, FBI director Chris Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.
Who is the richest person in TikTok? ›As of December 2021, 20-year-old Addison Rae Easterling has more than 88 million followers on TikTok. She became so successful, with a net worth valued at $15 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, that she quit college to pursue her TikTok career full-time.
How much is TikTok worth? ›In 2023, the brand value of TikTok/Douyin amounted to 66 billion U.S. dollars. It was the most valuable unicorn worldwide in 2022 with a market cap of 200 billion U.S. dollars.
Is TikTok 18+ a thing? ›Don't get the wrong idea about what that means. TikTok is extending the hours of its adult swim. The app is letting users restrict their videos so only viewers only the age of 18 can watch.
Is there a dark side of TikTok? ›A recent BuzzFeed report, citing leaked audio from 80 internal TikTok meetings, revealed that “Everything is seen in China.” TikTok tracks users' keystrokes to capture their personal data, such as credit card information, passwords, and location.
Is TikTok a threat? ›TikTok is a "potential threat vector" to the United States, said John F. Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy and principal cyber advisor to the secretary of defense.
What countries is TikTok banned in? ›- AFGHANISTAN. Afghanistan's Taliban leadership banned TikTok and the game PUBG in 2022 on the grounds of protecting young people from “being misled.”
- AUSTRALIA. ...
- CANADA. ...
- DENMARK. ...
- EUROPEAN UNION. ...
- FRANCE. ...
- INDIA. ...
- LATVIA.
These bans have generally been justified with national security concerns, due to TikTok's ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance. As of April 2023, the app has been banned for use by federal employees and banned for use by state employees in 34 (out of 50) states.
Why is TikTok banned in the US? ›The main reason is national security. U.S. lawmakers are concerned that ByteDance may leak U.S. user data to the Chinese government if the Chinese government forced them to. "Today, the CCP's [Chinese Communist Party's] laws require Chinese companies like ByteDance to spy on their behalf," Committee Chair Rep.
Is TikTok getting banned in Florida? ›TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida's governor signed into law another TikTok ban Tuesday. It's expected to bar millions of state and school-issued devices from the app.
Is TikTok separating from ByteDance? ›
TikTok has discussed separating from Chinese parent ByteDance, but it's a last resort amid escalating US pressure | South China Morning Post.
Did ByteDance sell TikTok? ›In 2020, when Trump demanded that ByteDance sell TikTok, the Beijing-based company brokered a deal to sell minority equity stakes in TikTok Global to other investors, with the Chinese firm retaining an 80 per cent equity stake, according to a statement at the time.
Why is ByteDance selling TikTok? ›The U.S. has told Chinese firm ByteDance to divest its TikTok stake or face a ban. TikTok staff announced the news one day after threatening to split from its parent over security pressures. The move could boost U.S. social media firms as users fret over a ban for the popular app.
Who owns TikTok ByteDance stock? ›TikTok parent ByteDance has special stock owned by China's government. Here's how 'golden shares' give Beijing influence over the social-media giant. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
Is ByteDance banned in the US? ›These bans have generally been justified with national security concerns, due to TikTok's ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance. As of April 2023, the app has been banned for use by federal employees and banned for use by state employees in 34 (out of 50) states.
Who owns most of ByteDance? ›According to the Financial Times, as of November 2021, 60% of ByteDance shares were owned by global investors, 20% by employees, and a further 20% by Zhang and Liang.
Why is TikTok just closing? ›Although TikTok officially supports many Apple and Android devices, your device may be too old and may not have enough resources to fully support the TikTok app. In this case, your best option is to upgrade to a newer smartphone.
Why is TikTok being banned? ›Have any countries banned TikTok? India banned the platform in mid-2020, costing ByteDance one of its biggest markets, as the government cracked down on 59 Chinese-owned apps, claiming that they were secretly transmitting users' data to servers outside India.
How many Americans use TikTok? ›Celebrating our thriving community of 150 million Americans | TikTok Newsroom.
Who purchased TikTok in us? ›Who currently owns TikTok? TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a private company headquartered in Beijing. ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, was founded in 2012.
Can TikTok be banned in the US? ›
The ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act, introduced by U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Angus King (I-ME) and U.S. Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), is the only bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would actually prevent TikTok from operating in the United States.
Is TikTok a national security threat? ›No evidence of TikTok national security threat but reason for concern, experts say. App faces a potential U.S. ban as bipartisan hostility grows.
Is ByteDance losing money? ›The Wall Street Journal
WSJ News Exclusive: TikTok parent ByteDance's operating losses more than tripled last year to over $7 billion as it pushed for growth.
- Join the TikTok Creator Fund.
- Sell merch to your fans.
- Go live and collect virtual gifts.
- Partner with influencers or other brands in the TikTok creator marketplace.
- Create in-feed ads with the TikTok ads manager.
- Crowdfund projects by collecting donations from fans.
TikTok will be going public… eventually. Its parent company ByteDance confirmed in 2020 that TikTok Global, a new US entity, will have its IPO at some point. This will be separate from ByteDance's IPO, which is also in the pipeline.