CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2021
| Author | Green, Ruth Beatrice |
|---|---|
| Title | The Weaponization of TikTok: Understanding Chinas Sharp Power and Western Defense |
| Summary | This MA thesis analyzes the characteristics of sharp power, a new tool of influence from autocracies to democracies, through the modern Chinese-owned social media app TikTok. It will look at the operationalization of TikTok through a case study approach with the United States of America (US) and the European Union (EU). Data governance is the strongest defense to sharp power by protecting domestic users from foreign intervention. The US and EU have two differing approaches to data governance with the US offering sector-specific laws and the EU’s extensive data privacy regime. The two cases are analyzed through their extensive background with China’s technology, similar user profiles, and increased concern over TikTok weaponizing user data to manipulate society. The case study adds to the sharp power framework by analyzing established governance institution within the modern tool. It concludes that the European Union has an extensive data privacy accountability structure that provides user protection, but is vulnerable to hidden, integrated influence as TikTok collects data via new invasive methods. The US has very little data protection and users are signifigantly more at risk than within the EU, as it fails to define data privacy norms or create an accountability structure for user concerns. The research offers policy recommendations centered around the need for a global data governance structure to protect users from a hidden coercive influence of harmful actors hidden through TikTok’s business model. |
| Supervisor | Bodenstein, Thilo; Pareja Alcaraz, Pablo |
| Department | Public Policy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2021/green_ruth-beatrice.pdf |
Visit the CEU Library.
© 2007-2021, Central European University