Purported TikTok/WeChat Breach?

A rapid analysis to try and untangle a few things.

This model’s pose is incredibly reminiscent of a particular photograph. Photo Credit: Amanda Vick via Unsplash.

Dear Reader, here is the ‘bottom line, up front’:

An influence operation that centers TikTok as a cause of concern has re-emerged with new data and purveyors. Early reviews by independent security experts indicate that the dataset does not appear authentic in relation to claims made about it. Nevertheless, its purveyors have taken specific claims to connect TikTok and WeChat in this latest salvo against the Chinese Communist Party, seeking to employ unspecified concerns about data privacy and the public’s lack of awareness regarding the business of data as a geopolitical influence lever.

Ultimately, despite its massive reach, singling TikTok out for this behavior is unnecessarily hawkish behavior intended to inflame geopolitical tensions. The root causes of data collection are squarely within reach of U.S. regulators and policymakers; namely, national data privacy legislation, …