If it were up to the Christian Union, TikTok would no longer be allowed to be used in our country. The party is very concerned that data of Dutch users will end up in the hands of the Chinese government. State Secretary for Digitalization Alexandra van Huffelen thinks a ban goes too far.
Don Ceder (Christian Union) tells RTL News (1).
TikTok has been under fire for some time. First, because of the company's alleged ties to the Chinese government. But also because the app is highly addictive, collects a lot of user data and sells it on to advertisers, and the way the Chinese social network handles privacy. Last July, the Personal Data Authority imposed a fine of 750,000 euros for violating European privacy laws. The British regulator ICO is considering a £27 million fine for the same reason.
The new privacy policy announced by TikTok early this month is making many people nervous. It was so that Chinese employees of the video platform could not view data of Dutch users. As of December 2, that changes and TikTok will start sharing data of Dutch TikTok users shared with China.
This caused much concern in the House of Representatives. Coalition and opposition parties from left to right raised critical questions about this to Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate) and State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen (Digitalization). They asked the ministers whether they considered it desirable for China to have access to this data, and whether they were willing to tackle TikTok at the European level.
The Christian Union goes a step further. The ruling party finds it unacceptable how TikTok handles user data. Therefore, the app should be banned in our country as soon as possible. "It is our job to protect the privacy of citizens. It is undesirable that a Chinese company, which cannot be separated from the Chinese government, receives and sends such a large bulk of data to young people," Don Ceder told RTL News.
State Secretary for Digitalization Alexandra van Huffelen thinks a ban is a bridge too far. Like the Christian Union, she is concerned about the company's direction. However, she first wants to investigate whether the Chinese video platform complies with Dutch and European privacy protection rules. If it turns out that TikTok does not comply, the company should be given the opportunity to mend its ways.
The secretary of state will soon begin talks with TikTok, highlighting privacy concerns that exist in the House of Representatives.
The Party for the Animals (PvdD) previously called for TikTok to be banned, but for a very different reason. The video platform's iOS app has functionality that theoretically makes it possible to obtain users' confidential data. The in-app web browser injects a JavaScript code as soon as someone taps on a link. Anything they type after that can be processed and shared with China.
Law Minister Franc Weerwind said in a response that he finds it worrisome if TikTok collects and processes users' keystrokes. "I share the opinion that, given the security risks, it would be absolutely unacceptable for TikTok to process data regarding keyboard input in an unlawful manner," he wrote in a letter to the Lower House.
Three Dutch foundations have been trying for a year to file a lawsuit against TikTok: Stichting Onderzoek Marktinformatie (SOMI), Foundation Take Back Your Privacy and Mass Damage & Consumer Foundation. TikTok tried to stop that by saying that the Dutch court is not authorized to rule on the foundations' claims. Furthermore, its headquarters are in Switzerland and the company wanted to seek legal advice from the European Court of Justice.
The Amsterdam court gave short shrift to TikTok's defense and gave the foundations the green light to file a mass claim. In December, the court will determine which foundation will be allowed to take the lead. The substantive hearing is scheduled for February 2023.
https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/politiek/artikel/5345883/christenunie-verbod-tiktok-video-kinderen-populaire-app-china
