China's social media application Tik Tok, deemed a national security threat by a number of governments around the world, has managed to get its claws into yet another ideal space for spying.
"TikTok, the social media app, is everywhere it seems. It’s even making its way into vehicles, starting with the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class that’s coming to market in fall 2023," TechCrunch reports. "The Mercedes-Benz E-Class will come with an updated version of the MBUX infotainment system — a precursor to the automaker’s custom-built operating system called MB.OS. Mercedes plans to launch MB.OS in its next generation of vehicles expected to come to market in late 2024...The newly updated MBUX system, which will feature a “superscreen” that spans the entire dashboard, will allow drivers to click on the TikTok app and watch videos when the vehicle is parked."
The CCP will not need spy balloons in the future. @MercedesBenzUSA will provide China with thousands of mobile platforms for TikTok to collect on you. @Ford is also helping the PRC with a taxpayer subsidized Chinese tech battery plant. How nice! https://t.co/tzPRQEa3TK
— Robert C. O'Brien (@robertcobrien) February 28, 2023
Given Tik Tok is used by the Chinese Communist Party to obtain data and engage in espionage, a number of governors have banned the app from state government devices. The federal government will soon follow suit.
FOX Business has learned that the Biden Adminsitration will ban Tik Tok on all Federal devices within the next 30 days. #TikTok #POTUS
— Edward Lawrence (@EdwardLawrence) February 28, 2023
The White House has directed federal agencies that they have 30 days to remove TikTok from all government-issued devices https://t.co/mWmQgYe9GI pic.twitter.com/uIRQhq45by
— CNN (@CNN) February 28, 2023