The TikTok debate has become a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations, with experts like Gordon Chang sounding alarms over national security risks. Chang, a Gatestone Institute senior fellow, argues TikTok’s Chinese ownership allows Beijing to exploit user data and manipulate content—calling it “an act of war” . Here’s why he insists the app must be shut down.
Chang compares TikTok to “spy balloons,” claiming China uses the app to collect sensitive information from 170 million U.S. devices. He highlights past Chinese cyberattacks like the Equifax hack as proof of Beijing’s data-theft playbook . While TikTok denies sharing data with the CCP, Chang notes China’s “export-control rules” block U.S. oversight of TikTok’s algorithms—keeping its “secret sauce” under Beijing’s control .
The app’s addictive algorithm isn’t just for viral dances, Chang warns. He alleges China weaponizes it to push pro-Hamas content (96.5% of Gaza-related videos) and instructions for violent protests . During 2020 BLM demonstrations, he claims China’s PLA identified protest-prone Americans through TikTok and fed them riot tutorials—a tactic he says reignited during recent college campus chaos .
Oracle’s 2020 “trusted partner” deal drew scorn from Chang, who called it a “sleazy backroom” arrangement letting Beijing keep algorithm control . He dismisses TikTok’s “Project Texas” data plan as self-policing theater, urging permanent bans over half-measures . With the CCP banning U.S. apps like Google in China, Chang argues reciprocity demands TikTok’s removal from American app stores .
This isn’t just about cat videos—it’s a digital battleground. China frames U.S. actions as tech suppression, but Chang counters that Beijing already walled off its market. As Chinese firms like ByteDance pivot to Southeast Asia, the TikTok saga exposes a stark reality: in the U.S.-China rivalry, data is the new oil, and control means survival .
The clock is ticking. With China boosting military spending 7.2% and TikTok’s U.S. user base growing, Chang warns delay risks letting Beijing entrench its “malign influence.” For him, it’s simple—no algorithm purge, no deal. Shut it down.
