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TikTok Is Having a Tough Time in Washington | WIRED

In some ways, the social media app TikTok couldn’t have rose to prominence at a worse moment. The platform for sharing short-form video clips is owned by the Chinese startup Bytedance, and surged in popularity just as the United States’ relations with China are turning icier than they have been in years. At the same time, US regulators are more closely scrutinizing the data privacy practices of social media companies than ever before, after scandals like Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica debacle erupted last year. Republican lawmakers routinely accuse the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube of censoring conservative voices.

Now TikTok is coming under fire for many of the same issues. On top of that, it has to find a way to explain its relationship with Beijing. Oh, and the app is particularly popular with teenagers and young people. Put it all together, and it’s like catnip for politicians with an agenda to push.

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Source: TikTok Is Having a Tough Time in Washington | WIRED