Responding to the Supreme Court’s decision upholding a US government’s decision to ban TikTok on national security grounds due to alleged ties between its parent company, ByteDance, and the Chinese government, Lauren Armistead, Deputy Tech Director at Amnesty International, said: 

“Banning TikTok does nothing to address the endemic human rights risks and harms associated with the surveillance-based business models of TikTok and other major tech companies such as Google and Meta. 

“This measure unnecessarily restricts the right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information.  

 “Rather than applying arbitrary bans, US authorities should introduce regulations that govern all tech platforms to protect everyone’s 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 on TikTok, are well known. 

“With the coming change in administration, we urge US regulators to maintain focus on tackling the systemic issues of the surveillance-based business model of major tech companies and ensure a rights-respecting online environment.   

“We also continue to call on TikTok to stop using people’s sensitive personal information to create an addictive timeline.”  

Exposing big tech firms

Today, the US Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok in the United States on national security grounds if ByteDance does not sell the short video-app to a US certified buyer by Sunday 19 January. The ban prohibits app stores from distributing TikTok to its over 170 million users in the US. 

In 2023, Amnesty released two reports highlighting abuses suffered by children and young people using TikTok. Driven into the Darkness: How TikTok Encourages Self-harm and Suicidal Ideation details how TikTok’s quest for young users’ attention may worsen mental health issues. Another report, “I feel Exposed”: Caught in TikTok’s Surveillance Web, examines TikTok’s data practices and harmful user practices. The reports are part of Amnesty’s work exposing the business models of big tech firms that constitute an assault on the right to privacy and which prioritise profits over human rights.