Andrew Selepak Comments on TikTok National Security Risks

Andrew Selepak, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Media Production, Management, and Technology lecturer and coordinator of the online master’s program with a specialization in social media, is quoted in “FBI Director Warns of National Security Risk Posed by TikTok” posted on katv.com, the ABC-television affiliate in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The story focuses on the FBI’s warning of national security risks from the popular Chinese-owned TikTok app. Concerns include data collection practices and the possibility that personal devices could be technically compromised.

“The issue is that when you have a platform created in China — where the software, the coding the design, everything was created there — it would be in many ways virtually impossible to determine if there isn’t some sort of backdoor to still be able to access that data,” said Selepak.

“At the end of the day, when you have this app where there’s already this much concern and has already been banned in India over concerns of data being shared with the Chinese government, it’s almost kind of odd that nothing’s been done,” Selepak said.

Posted: November 18, 2022
Category: Alumni News, College News
Tagged as: Andrew Selepak