The Brilliance of TikTok: Mass Surveillance & Control

While younger generations continue to absorb social media platforms such as TikTok, government officials in South Dakota have announced a ban on TikTok from all government devices due to security fears. Why is TikTok a stroke of genius on China's part, what security threats does TikTok present to government officials, and what does this mean regarding government devices in the future?

Why is TikTok a stroke of genius on China’s part?

Despite only being 29 years old, I already find myself out of touch with younger generations, and this is clearly evident from my inability to understand the appeal of social media apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Having said that, these apps emerged during my early teens, so it is perfectly possible that social media simply doesn’t resonate with my interests (show me a social media site for industrial equipment and that might change).

But as much as I may dislike social media, one cannot deny its power and the commercial opportunities it presents. Influences can quickly rise the ranks of popularity and bring in massive amounts of donations and sponsorships simply for making 5-minute videos which explains why so many people try to become influencers. 

However, one country that may have truly seen the power of social media is the country that actively tries to control it, China. It’s no secret that China has no freedom of speech in any way, shape, or form, and the introduction of social credit scores prevents citizens from complaining about government actions, policies, and even principles. But while the citizens of China have limited access to resources and external influences, China has heavily focused on trying to also extend its surveillance capabilities far beyond its borders.

In the case of TikTok, the parent company, called ByteDance, is a Chinese business that has ties to the Chinese government. Furthermore, all companies in China are required to share information with the ruling party to aid efforts in mass surveillance, and this means that there is a direct link between TikTok accounts and the Chinese Communist Party. This means that all data generated by the +1 billion users of TikTok worldwide provide the CCP with all the data needed to train facial recognition AI, identify political speech, and even decode hidden meanings and messages typically used by those trying to circumvent government control. 

South Dakota officials ban TikTok from government devices

As the threat of Chinese surveillance grows, the US State of South Dakota has recently announced a ban on using TikTok on all government devices including phones, computers, and tablets. With the rising concerns of China's widespread attempts at global surveillance, government officials in South Dakota are concerned that TikTok could be used against those working in government. Furthermore, having access to government devices may provide China with essential intel that can then be used to fuel campaigns aimed at manipulating the public. This eventually could lead to Chinese-friendly politicians gaining ground with the final goal of enacting policies in favour of China. 

While it is blindingly obvious that China collects data from TikTok users, there are concerns that the app may even allow for backdoor entry into devices. Considering that all major companies in China are required to have members of the CCP in their organisation, it is very easy to inject malicious code that could provide administrative capabilities, access to contacts, private messages, and other sensitive information stored on the device. In fact, as TikTok has access to cameras and microphones, it could even be used as a surveillance tool used to spy on unsuspecting individuals.

This is not the first time that government officials have attempted to remove Chinese influence; President Donald Trump introduced an act that would force ByteDance to sell off the US branch of TikTok, but these plans failed due to legal issues and the transfer of power to President Joe Biden, and instead of continuing with the plans, President Joe Biden decided to launch cyber investigations into the dangers posed by TikTok. 

What does this mean for the future of government devices?

Whether or not South Dakota government officials are right or wrong, there is a very real argument to be made to outright ban the use of consumer-grade electronics in sensitive applications such as government offices. As consumer-grade electronics are available to everyone, it is relatively easy to find flaws and bugs that can be leveraged to launch cyberattacks. Of course, flaws in such devices are usually found quickly and reported, but not all, and this was made abundantly clear with the Israeli software Pegasus which was able to conduct surveillance unknown to users for years. 

Instead, future government devices may need to start thinking about how custom hardware and software solutions can create an isolated ecosystem. By creating a level of separation from consumer devices, it is much harder to identify bugs as access to such devices is extremely difficult to do. Furthermore, utilising different protocols also makes communicating with such devices remotely increasingly more difficult, and this could be essential in defending government institutions from cyberattacks.  

Of course, whoever makes these devices need to be competent to do so, and it is well known that competency is something that no government has ever achieved, except for that one time when the Spanish government shut down for two years and the economy improved. Government-made devices would likely be full of flaws, built to poor standards, and made by friends of government officials who will likely find the cheapest possible service and pocket the difference.

So, how do governments protect themselves going forward, and should commercial devices be used in government offices?