Director of the US National Security Agency, Paul Nakasone, warned on Tuesday about the influence of TikTok.
Speaking to the Senate Armed Forces Committee, he expressed concerns about the Chinese-owned video app’s data collection and its potential to facilitate operations with broad influence.
“TikTok worries me for a number of different reasons,” the executive told Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville.
First, Nakasone said he was concerned about the “data they have”.
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Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency, expressed concern about TikTok’s influence. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Second is the algorithm and control over who owns the algorithm,” he added.
The NSA chief highlighted TikTok’s ability to “turn off the message” and proactively influence its users.
The app is used by over 100 million Americans.
This comes after the White House required all federal agencies to remove the app from government devices within 30 days.
The NSA is concerned about the app’s algorithm — and who controls it. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)
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In 2020, the US government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) ordered Chinese company ByteDance to divest TikTok over fears that user data could be shared with the Chinese government.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will appear before Congress on March 23.
Nakasone’s comments were made as senators unveiled the RESTRICT bill.
Nakasone is not the only one concerned about ByteDance and data sharing. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The quickest and most thorough way to address any national security concerns about TikTok is for CFIUS – which includes the Department of Defense and the NSA – to approve the proposed agreement that we have been working on with them for nearly two years, TikTok representative Brooke Oberwetter said, according to Reuters, adding that TikTok’s status has been discussed publicly in a manner separate from the facts of that agreement and what we’ve already achieved.
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TikTok did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Reuters contributed to this report.
