TikTok Tracks Views Of US Users On Gun Control, Abortion And Religion, Says Justice Department: 'Collection Of Data From Americans Is Not A Protected Activity'

The U.S. Justice Department has leveled accusations against TikTok, alleging that the social media platform has been collecting data on its users’ views on sensitive topics such as gun control, abortion, and religion.

What Happened: On Friday, making its most forceful case to date, the Justice Department made these allegations in response to a federal lawsuit filed by TikTok in May.

The department also claims that TikTok has been censoring content under the direction of its China-based parent company, ByteDance, reported the Wall Street Journal.

“The collection of data from Americans is not a protected activity,” a senior Justice Department official explained in the filings, many of which remain classified, the report noted.

See Also: Apple’s Market Share Drops In China, A18 Chip Integration To Bring AI Features To iPhone 16 And More: This Week In Appleverse

The filings also revealed a software tool that allows U.S. employees of TikTok and ByteDance to collect user information based on content, including views on sensitive topics.

“Intelligence reporting further demonstrates that ByteDance and TikTok Global have taken action in response to PRC demands to censor content outside of China,” Casey Blackburn, a senior U.S. intelligence official, wrote in a filing supporting the government's stance.

A spokesperson for TikTok defended the company, stating that a TikTok ban would violate the First Amendment rights of its 170 million users and expressed confidence in prevailing in court.

TikTok has previously said that its U.S. algorithm is stored with its American partner, Oracle. However, the Justice Department argues that TikTok’s plan to store U.S. user data on domestic servers is inadequate.

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Why It Matters: The latest revelations come at a time when the platform has gained significant popularity among high-profile U.S. figures. Last month, former President Donald Trump joined TikTok, the platform he once sought to ban.

This month, Vice President Kamala Harris also launched her own TikTok account, following President Joe Biden’s sudden exit from the 2024 presidential race and her announcement to run for the presidency.

The U.S. government has said that the TikTok algorithm poses a national security risk, warning of possible exploitation by the Chinese government for large-scale influence operations in the U.S.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier suggested the possibility of a TikTok ban within the EU.

Photo by XanderSt on Shutterstock

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.