South Dakota has become the first state to ban TikTok for state employees amid growing Congressional concerns over national security. Governor Kristi Noem announced the immediate ban on November 30, citing concerns about China gaining intelligence and influence through the platform.

FBI Director Christopher Wray recently highlighted three major concerns to the House Homeland Security Committee:

• Potential Chinese government control over user data collection
• Manipulation of the recommendation algorithm for influence operations
• Possible technical compromise of personal devices through software control

Senator Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, compared TikTok to a communications network for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He emphasized that during potential conflicts, like over Taiwan, the CCP could manipulate content visibility to serve their interests.

The platform's data collection practices are particularly concerning, with Warner noting that TikTok collects more user data than Facebook did at its peak, including:

• Keystrokes
• Eye movements
• Background activities
• User posting information

These privacy concerns aren't new, as previous investigations have revealed:

• The app's analysis of clipboard material
• Evidence of backdoors allowing Chinese access to sensitive data
• Extensive background data collection practices

The South Dakota ban represents the first state-level action against TikTok's growing influence, with calls for other states to follow suit.

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