The U.S. Department of Justice views TikTok as a national security threat.

The U.S. Department of Justice has stated that TikTok collects user data on sensitive topics and thereby poses a threat to national security. The popular social media app and its parent company ByteDance could be compelled to share this information with China, according to the authorities in court documents filed on Friday. The agency also emphasized that China has the ability to censor or influence the content shown on TikTok, which could affect the perspectives of American users. These statements were made in response to a lawsuit from TikTok challenging a potential ban of the app. TikTok has gained enormous popularity in recent years and is now once again at the center of geopolitical tensions, raising questions about data protection and information security. Whether and to what extent the app will be allowed to continue operating in the U.S. remains unclear and depends on further legal proceedings.