LettersWhy fear Chinese social media apps for taking data? Facebook or Google do the same

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A video being live-streamed on popular Chinese app TikTok. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 1:00pm, 3 Apr 2019Updated: 1:00pm, 3 Apr 2019

I refer to Vasudevan Sridharan’s article “Indian invasion of Chinese social media apps like TikTok, SHAREit and Helo sparks fear and loathing in New Delhi” (March 11), on how the rapid spread of Chinese social media in the Indian market has led to controversy, concern and even prejudice.

Accusations against the apps are said to centre on three things: the spreading of fake news, hate speech and sexually explicit material. Also, it is alleged that the Chinese apps are collecting sensitive information and threatening the information security of users. The fear is that all the data collected will give Chinese apps like TikTok a huge advantage over competitors not only in India but also around the world.

I’d like to disagree with some of the points raised in this article. All those accusations arise from panic, doubt and fear of new things, especially those from China. International social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp have been proved to spread fake news and unsavoury content. Facebook is sometimes considered the world’s biggest distributor of fake news, even shaping public opinion on politics. TikTok, an entertaining short-form video app, is not likely to involve news and political issues. And unhealthy or sexually explicit content can be controlled by local laws and supervision.

If that data [helps] Chinese social media companies … beat both domestic and foreign players in the Indian market, that is how a free market works

Furthermore, the allegation that TikTok is collecting data, even sensitive information, ought to be reconsidered. Why is it that India doesn’t seem to care when American companies like Facebook and Google collect tonnes of information? Ultimately, data collection is what a social media company does.

And if that data provides Chinese social media companies with the resources to beat both domestic and foreign players in the Indian market, that is how a free market works. Some so-called controversies are based on nothing more than unthinking rejection of China and its technology.

Peilin Tan, Kowloon Tong