Taiwan’s government has launched an investigation into China-owned social media platform TikTok for allegedly illegally operating a subsidiary in Taiwan, warning that the social media platform is being used by Beijing to spread disinformation. .
TikTok, which is not widely used in Taiwan, has come under pressure, mainly in the United States, over concerns about China accessing users’ personal data, which the company denies.
In a statement late Sunday, the Mainland China Affairs Council, which determines Taiwan’s China policy, said on Dec. 9 that a working group under the cabinet had found that TikTok was suspected of “illegal commercial activity” in Taiwan. said to have found
Taiwan’s Liberty Times reported that TikTok owner ByteDance set up a subsidiary on the island to promote its business and that Chinese social media platforms were not allowed to conduct commercial activities on the island due to Taiwanese laws. reported to be in violation of
In response to its report, the Council on Mainland China Affairs said a cabinet working group had actually found alleged violations of the law and legal authorities were investigating.
“In recent years, the mainland side has used short video platforms like TikTok to carry out cognitive manipulation and intrusion against other countries, and there is a high risk that the Chinese government is collecting users’ personal information,” it added.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwan has banned a wide range of Chinese companies from operating on the island, from social media platforms to high-value semiconductor manufacturing.
Taiwan has already banned government departments from using Chinese apps like TikTok, the council said.
Owned by Meta Platforms META.O, Facebook and Instagram are the most widely used social media platforms in Taiwan. TikTok is lagging behind its peers in Taiwan, but is becoming increasingly popular among young people, according to a market research firm.
Taiwan has long complained that China uses social media to spread disinformation about islands Beijing claims to be its territory.
In 2019, Taiwan passed the Anti-Infiltration Act. It combats what many in Taiwan see as China’s efforts to influence political and democratic processes through illicit funding of politicians and the media and other methods. It is part of a long-standing effort to
