More than 2,500 YouTube channels tied to China have been deleted by Google. The move comes from recent tensions over the popular app TikTok, the spread of disinformation, and the White House considering it a “threat.”
What We Know:
- Google has stated that thousands of YouTube channels were removed between April and June of this year. It was in an effort to aid their investigation related to how the operation of these channels could be linked to China.
- These accounts in question generally posted an excess of “non-political content” and spam, yet there was a small trend of political themes within videos throughout the platform. They found a lot of these channels had a small but distinct agenda in pushing false information. Details on specific channels have not been given.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the Trump administration wants to push for removing Chinese apps like TikTok and WeChat from U.S. app stores on Wednesday, deeming them to be “untrusted.”
- Pompeo also made a note of the “Clean Network” initiative aimed to stop any potential national security risks. It will stop Chinese apps, and telecoms companies, who they believe can access sensitive information on American citizens and businesses, from operating within the country.
- Microsoft has stepped in to save the video-sharing platform, but TikTok’s deadline to act is just a few weeks away, September 15th, finalize the terms of purchase with ByteDance or face banishment.
- Just before the 2020 election and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the bond between the U.S and China hasn’t been ideal. China’s military buildup in the South China Sea, the treatment of Uighur Muslims, and its increasing control over Hong Kong have put a strain on foreign relations.
The spread of disinformation and cybersecurity risks have been a lingering problem and fear among many American politicians and experts since the 2016 presidential election. It all began with the alleged Russian interference with the last election and government-linked culprits responsible for injecting thousands of deceptive messages into social media.
