News Navigator: Why is TikTok being regulated strictly in the US? What about in Japan?

The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the video sharing app “TikTok.”

Question: What exactly is the TikTok app that’s so popular with young people?

Answer: The service is operated by Chinese tech giant ByteDance Ltd. It lets users post clips ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes in length, and is popular mainly among young people as videos can be posted easily and without difficult editing. Currently, there are over 1 billion users in more than 150 countries and regions around the world, including Japan.

Q: I heard that there are tighter restrictions on TikTok in the U.S. Why is that?

A: This is due to the fact that TikTok has gained a large share of the U.S. market and is becoming more influential in society. Furthermore, in December 2022, it was discovered that an employee of ByteDance had illegally accessed the location data of an American journalist who reported suspicions that TikTok was collecting personal information. There have been concerns about the service’s handling of such data. China has a law that requires companies to cooperate with government information-gathering activities.

There are also suspicions that Beijing is using the app to collect information on users. A bill proposed by a bipartisan group to prohibit the downloading of TikTok onto U.S. government official cell phones has also been enacted. TikTok refutes such claims, saying that it has never provided any information to the Chinese government.

Q: Is TikTok also regulated in Japan?

A: Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno explained in February that “when sensitive information is handled at government terminals, external services such as TikTok and other social media are not available.” Regarding the management of data on users in Japan, ByteDance’s Japanese subsidiary stated that the information is stored in data centers in Singapore and the U.S. and is operated in compliance with the laws and regulations of each country.

(Japanese original by Atsuo Yamaguchi, Business News Department)