CONTEXTUALIZING TIKTOK CONTROVERSIES: CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF PLATFORM PRIVACY DEBATES

Abstract

This study focuses on online news coverage of TikTok's privacy policies to uncover accusations related to security threats between October 2020 and May 2023. Using critical discourse analysis, the research compares TikTok's discourse with other platforms like Facebook and YouTube, highlighting the role of governments, tech companies, and users in shaping this discourse. Furthermore, it demonstrates how cultural and political factors influence privacy discussions, particularly regarding the controversies, discussions, and accusations between the United States and China. AI tool ChatGPT analyzes the discourse by focusing on the news texts' most prominent topics and keywords. The goal is to identify key themes for each highlighted keyword to answer the following questions: (1) How does TikTok's privacy policy construct notions of privacy and security? (2) How do shareholders discuss potential risks in TikTok’s privacy policies? (3) What are the risks of privacy violations and TikTok's global implications? This research asserts that when analyzed alongside the privacy policy discourses of other major social media platforms, TikTok's privacy policies reveal significant implications for cybersecurity, particularly in the context of informed consent. The findings highlight the interplay of cultural, political, and economic factors, emphasizing the urgent need for continuous monitoring and accountability in digital privacy-seeking risk assessment and minimizing.