This week was my last week leading discussion and I really enjoyed the topic of cybersecurity. Growing up, my dad was in the military and was a cryptologist. After he retired, he worked for a cybersecurity contractor that works with the military. Because of this, he is well versed in the world of cybersecurity, and thus, it is a big topic of conversation sometimes. In the past few years, my dad has had multiple conversations with me about the dangers of Facebook and other social media like TikTok, and it got to the point where he deleted his own Facebook. I am an avid Instagram and Facebook user, but I refuse to download TikTok, despite how popular it is. This is in part because of the conversations I have had with my dad about the apps cybersecurity and the government warnings against it. However, I do recognize that Instagram and Facebook also have loads and loads of my information, but again, I can never wrap my head around TikTok. 

In class, we discussed why the government has issues with the app. Many students noted that it is simply because China is the one who owns the app, and because we as a nation do not “like” China, that is why the government is wanting to take steps against it. At the end of the day, I do believe that TikTok is a great security risk, despite my classmates thinking otherwise. It is interesting that it is such a hotly debated topic. I do not know how the government would go about banning it to begin with, but I think more people need to think about the gravity of our national security. 

Source: What TikTok cybersecurity concerns could mean for you