The Lingering Threat of TikTok: Coordinated Manipulation Programs Highlight Concerns
Concerns about TikTok being used by the Chinese Government for data tracking and messaging manipulation in Western regions are still present, as shown in Meta’s latest report on coordinated manipulation programs. Meta shut down almost 5,000 Facebook profiles associated with a Chinese-based manipulation program in Q3 alone. Chinese groups are actively seeking to infiltrate Western networks, reflecting the potential threat posed by TikTok, which is controlled by a Chinese owner and may be more accessible to these operators. The lack of transparency into TikTok’s enforcement efforts and its parent company’s links to the Chinese Communist Party only heighten these concerns. The rising use of generative AI as a means to increase bot activity further complicates the situation, but Meta believes that it has not yet upended industry efforts to counter covert influence operations.
For the full report, you can read Meta’s Q3 “Adversarial Threat Report” here.