In a recent accusation against a popular technology company, the Justice Department has alleged that TikTok has the ability to collect large amounts of user data based on their views on divisive social issues like gun control, abortion, and religion.
In court documents filed late Friday, government lawyers claimed that TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, used an internal web-suite system called Lark to facilitate communication between TikTok employees and ByteDance engineers in China.
Employees at TikTok reportedly used Lark to send sensitive information about U.S. users to Chinese servers, where it could be accessed by ByteDance employees. This included data on users’ views on topics such as abortion and religion.
The government expressed concerns about potential covert content manipulation by the Chinese government through TikTok’s algorithm, which could shape the content users receive. The filing also mentioned a practice called “heating” where certain videos are promoted for views.
Federal officials are seeking permission to submit a classified version of their legal brief, which would not be accessible to TikTok or ByteDance.
TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek responded by stating that a ban on TikTok would violate the First Amendment rights of 170 million American users and that the government has not provided evidence to support its claims.
The government argued that TikTok has not raised valid free speech claims and that the law in question addresses national security concerns without infringing on protected speech. They also emphasized concerns about China potentially using technology against U.S. national security.
Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for September.