Canadian Intelligence Chief Warns of Potential Chinese Espionage via TikTok
In some of his most hawkish comments to date, the head of Canada’s intelligence agency is warning Canadians, including teenagers, against using the wildly popular video app TikTok.
“My answer as director of [the Canadian Security Intelligence Service] is that there is a very clear strategy on the part of the government of China … to be able to acquire … personal information from anyone around the world,” said CSIS director David Vigneault in an interview with CBC’s The House airing Saturday.
“As an individual, I would say that I would absolutely not recommend someone have TikTok.”
Vigneault emphasized that it’s “very clear” from the app’s design that data gleaned from its users “is available to the government of China.”
His remarks follow closely after CSIS issued its annual report, which highlighted concerns about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expanding extraterritorial influence.
The report underscored that President Xi has implemented measures granting Beijing authority over data within China and enacted broad laws obliging Chinese citizens worldwide to aid and collaborate with China’s intelligence apparatus.
“They’re using big data analytics, they have amazing computer farms crunching the data, they are developing artificial intelligence … based on using this data,” Vigneault said.
“The ultimate goal is always to protect the interests of the Chinese Communist Party. And so from that point of view, in many ways, this is a threat to the way we live.”
Vigneault joins a growing chorus of Western officials expressing apprehensions about TikTok potentially funneling sensitive user data to the Chinese government.
Additionally, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, faces accusations of involvement in bolstering China’s surveillance apparatus targeting the Uyghur minority and suppressing dissent in Hong Kong.
Critics voice concerns that China may exploit TikTok’s content algorithms to disseminate misinformation and stifle opposition.
Despite ByteDance’s assertions that its servers reside outside China’s jurisdiction, skeptics remain wary of Chinese Communist Party influence.
TikTok declined to comment on the matter.
Recently, U.S. President Joe Biden enacted legislation mandating ByteDance to divest TikTok within a year to avert a ban.
In response, both ByteDance and content creators have initiated separate lawsuits against the U.S. government.
