Chinese Social Media App TikTok is a National Security Threat: Taiwan Declares

According to Central News agency Taiwan, Audrey Tang, Taiwan's Minister of Digital Affairs, has said that Taiwan's national security is seriously threatened by the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok.

Tang claims that the US's belief that TikTok could be a threat to national security is consistent with the platform's connections to foreign adversaries.

To a question concerning the most recent legislative hearing, Tang replied, "Taiwan has classified TikTok as a dangerous product." She cited Taiwan's legislation to argue that any product that could be controlled by foreign opponents, even indirectly, poses a threat to the security of the information and communication networks in that country. The news was originally reported by CNA Taiwan.

With this action, Taiwan is following the same trend as the US. Recently, the US House of Representatives passed a bill targeting TikTok's parent firm, ByteDance. The law gives ByteDance a deadline to sell off its US holdings in order to prevent a state-wide ban. Taiwan's concerns about foreign nations' influence on internet platforms are reflected in this statute.

Tang revealed that Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) has recommended revisions to the Cyber Security Management Act. The concerns expressed in this amendment were included in the original draft that was submitted to the US House of Representatives to address indirect foreign influence. By putting this legislation into effect, Taiwan has demonstrated its commitment to protecting its digital infrastructure from outside interference.

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Currently, there are restrictions on using TikTok on Taiwanese official websites. Tang did, however, mention the prospect of extending this prohibition to include public areas, non-governmental organizations, and educational institutions—subject to a Cabinet decision. She emphasized that reaching such a decision would involve a comprehensive examination that took into account all pertinent legal procedures as well as pragmatic considerations.

According to the ministry's notification, the final decision will be made by the Cabinet after thorough consideration of all opinions from the various sectors. It emphasized that in order to successfully handle this issue, other Cabinet-convened ministries should keep up their deliberations.