Congress calls on FTC to investigate TikTok over reports China accessed user data

In an open letter this week, Senators Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) urged the FTC to open a formal investigation after Buzzfeed News revealed that TikTok’s parent company ByteDance repeatedly rifled through U.S. user data (despite years of denials that China had no access).

The senators further alleged that TikTok is well aware of “these improper access practices and governance irregularities” and that employees in China were able to access a wide swath of U.S. user data including birthdates, phone numbers, and device identification information.

With recent updates suggesting that TikTok could soon begin collecting biometric data such as faceprints and voiceprints, the senators warned “that data of U.S. users may be vulnerable to extrajudicial access” from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“In light of repeated misrepresentations by TikTok concerning its data security, data processing, and corporate governance practices, we urge you to act promptly on this matter,” the letter concludes.

Check out the rest of the story on The Daily Dot.