TikTok Ban Won’t Solve Harms To Privacy Caused By Big Tech’s Invasive Surveillance

By Amnesty International Photos: YouTube Screenshots Responding to the US government’s decision to impose a nationwide ban on TikTok if ByteDance, its parent company, does not sell the app’s US operations within 270 days, Lauren Armistead, Deputy Director at Amnesty Tech, said:  “The US government’s decision to impose an outright ban on TikTok fails to address the endemic human rights risks and harms associated with the surveillance-based business models of other tech companies, including Meta and Google. Banning TikTok also disproportionately restricts people’s right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information.  “Despite banning TikTok, US lawmakers have given Meta and Google a free pass, allowing them to continue harvesting our data and abusing our privacy rights. Rather than handing out arbitrary bans, the US authorities should address the underlying problems of surveillance-based business models by introducing regulations that govern all  tech platforms to truly protect our human rights in the digital age.   “The dangers of mass data collection and social media algorithms, such as the amplification of hate on Meta platforms and the toll of harmful content on young people’s mental health, are well known. The best way to ensure these platforms are...