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TikTok app can eavesdrop on 170 million Americans, former US intelligence officials warn DC Circuit

By Mike Swift and Xu Yuan
  • 02 Aug 2024 20:25
  • 02 Aug 2024 22:05
TikTok is a unique and powerful surveillance weapon for the Chinese Communist Party that can eavesdrop on the audible conversations of 170 million Americans who installed the app, even if the privacy settings on their phones should block that data collection, two former US attorneys general and an array of former

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Mike Swift

Chief Global Digital Risk Correspondent


Mike Swift is an award-winning journalist who has been at the forefront of covering data, privacy and cybersecurity regulatory news for more than a decade. As the Chief Global Digital Risk Correspondent for MLex, in addition to reporting, he coordinates MLex’s worldwide coverage in the practice area. Formerly chief Internet reporter for the San Jose Mercury News and SiliconValley.com, Mike has covered Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Twitter and other tech companies and has closely tracked technology and regulatory trends in Silicon Valley. He has wide ranging expertise from the business of professional sports to computer-assisted reporting. A former John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University, he is a graduate of Colby College.

Xu Yuan

Senior Correspondent


Xu Yuan has worked for MLex for seven years, all of them based in Hong Kong. She has reported on a wide range of regulatory topics, including antitrust, cybersecurity and data security, in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. She has broken numerous stories on policymaking and enforcement involving international companies doing business in the region and done substantial court reporting in Hong Kong. She is currently specializing in covering regulatory issues related to future mobility, including connected vehicles. She previously worked for US TV network NBC in Beijing. She received her undergraduate degree in English Literature and Linguistics from Peking University and a master’s degree from the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at The University of Hong Kong.

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