Financial analyst says TikTok threat isn’t about privacy

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The controversy surrounding ByteDance's TikTok app continues as the U.S. Congress pushes to ban the popular video-sharing platform, and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before lawmakers. 

In an exclusive interview with TVBS commentator Wenchi Yu, Rui Ma, the founder of Tech Buzz China and a technology and financial analyst, offered her views on the matter.

Ma noted that while concerns about information gathering and privacy drive the TikTok controversy, other factors may be at play. 

She pointed out that managing online personal information in the U.S. has long been problematic, with American data often being sold to Chinese entities by data brokers. 

Moreover, Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel and Republican members of Congress may be targeting TikTok for economic reasons, as they worry about the U.S. position in technology.

Ma believes that despite the U.S.'s intent to decouple China regarding technology, there are still many collaborations in scientific research and development, especially in the medical and pharmaceutical areas. 

However, she remarked that the two countries are drifting apart, seriously impacting investment in Silicon Valley.

Ma called for establishing more security protection mechanisms to prevent hostility from affecting the development of the technology industry. 

She is optimistic about China's well-developed e-commerce and social networks, which can lead to healthy competition with the U.S. market. If investors lose confidence, many start-ups may not be able to thrive.