The brand new ‘TikTok Sparks Good’ docu-series will share a spread of brief tales ‘that remember the various and inspirational creator success that transcend past TikTok to create actual life change’. 

Which, ostensibly, celebrates these creators and the successes that they’re seeing within the app. Nevertheless it’s additionally a reasonably clear automobile by way of which to doubtlessly sway to US regulators who could also be contemplating whether or not to ban the app.

And TikTok’s laying it on fairly thick:

“TikTok is a spot the place People can rework not solely their very own lives, however the lives of others. From first era kids saving their dad or mum’s small companies to creators rallying the neighborhood to assist our veterans, TikTok is the place anybody can construct neighborhood, join, educate, and create financial alternative. We’re amazed by the facility of the TikTok neighborhood and the way it makes the platform a catalyst for good.”

I imply, that’s not not true, however on the identical time, TikTok has additionally been the supply of a spread of dangerous developments, unfavourable psychological impacts for teenagers, exploitation, misinformation, and so forth.

Whether or not the platform is a web constructive or unfavourable just isn’t totally clear – whereas that query inside itself isn’t a part of the evaluation as as to whether TikTok must be allowed to proceed working within the US both approach.

That comes all the way down to the app’s hyperlinks to China, and the provisions with China’s cybersecurity legal guidelines which stipulate that Chinese language-owned companies should share consumer information with the CCP on request.

There’s nothing to recommend that the CCP has requested corresponding to but, nor that TikTok has offered it. However the concern is that TikTok might be used as a device for spying on US residents, by utilizing TikTok information to trace their actions, or glean private details about customers so as to use that as leverage.

For probably the most half, which will look like a lesser concern – why would the Chinese language Authorities need to goal individuals based mostly on their hokey TikTok clips?

However it may be an issue.

Late final 12 months, it was revealed that representatives from TikTok’s dad or mum firm ByteDance had used TikTok information to trace the actions of US journalists, in a bid to find which ByteDance workers could also be leaking information to the press.

As reported by The Monetary Instances:

“Over the summer season, 4 workers on the ByteDance inside audit workforce regarded into the sharing of inside data to journalists. Two members of employees within the US and two in China gained entry to the IP addresses and different private information of FT journalist Cristina Criddle, to work out if she was within the proximity of any ByteDance workers, the corporate mentioned.”

That is the important thing concern across the misuse of TikTok information, and on this context, the rising bans of the app on government-owned gadgets is sensible, as that might be used as a vector to trace individuals’s actions, and monitor who they’re assembly with.

For presidency workers, who could also be in possession of delicate data, there’s a transparent danger right here. So whereas it could not look like a serious concern to the on a regular basis TikTok consumer who’s posting random jokes and dance clips, there’s a extra sinister ingredient, which might be of concern, particularly amid rising tensions between China and varied different nations.

So whereas TikTok is doing all that it may possibly to spotlight its worth, it’s really extra of an apart, and not likely related to the main focus of the broader ban discussions.

However that does look like the main focus right here. And whereas it’s attention-grabbing to notice the assorted methods during which TikTok has helped these SMBs, it appears pretty clear what the intention is on this respect.

Both approach, you may tune into the brand new ‘TikTok Sparks Good’ tales right here, which may encourage you to assist these companies, or offer you new concepts on your personal TikTok promotion efforts.