CONTEXTUALIZING TIKTOK CONTROVERSIES: CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF PLATFORM PRIVACY DEBATES

dc.contributor.advisorSalter, Anastasia
dc.contributor.authorAlharazi, Bshaer
dc.date.accessioned2024-12-04T06:53:48Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.descriptionTikTok, Privacy policies, Security threats, Critical discourse analysis, Tech companies, Users, Cultural factors, Political factors, United States-China relations, Social media platforms, Facebook, YouTube, Privacy and security, Shareholders, Privacy violations, Global implications, Cybersecurity, Informed consent, Risk assessment, Accountability, Digital privacy.
dc.description.abstractThis 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.
dc.format.extent187
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14154/74007
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Central Florida
dc.subjectTikTok
dc.subjectPrivacy policies
dc.subjectSecurity threats
dc.subjectCritical discourse analysis
dc.subjectTech companies
dc.subjectShareholders
dc.subjectInformed consent
dc.subjectAccountability
dc.titleCONTEXTUALIZING TIKTOK CONTROVERSIES: CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF PLATFORM PRIVACY DEBATES
dc.typeThesis
sdl.degree.departmentText and Technology
sdl.degree.disciplineDigital Media
sdl.degree.grantorUniversity of Central Florida
sdl.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
SACM-Dissertation.pdf
Size:
1.7 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.61 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed to upon submission
Description:

Copyright owned by the Saudi Digital Library (SDL) © 2025