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MAC investigating TikTok
The Mainland Affairs Council says it's investigating possible illegal activities by TikTok in Taiwan. According to the council, it launched the investigation after cabinet spokesman Luo Bing-cheng told delegates at an interministerial meeting in Taipei that the Chinese social media application poses a cybersecurity threat to Taiwan.
The council says it has also submitted information that TikTok's activities could be in violation of the Criminal Code to prosecutors for further investigation.
The announcement follows a report by the Liberty Time newspaper in which it alleged that TikTok's developer had legally registered a company called Sun Young Biological with the Ministry of Economic Affairs in March of 2018.
The report went on to say that Sun Young Biological secured approval from authorities in November to change its name to TikTok Taiwan, as a branch of ByteDance in the Taiwan market, and then launched a recruitment drive here.
Finance Minister Su Jien-rong says his office will issue a report on its investigation within three months, but to his knowledge TikTok has no business or taxation registration in Taiwan.
TikTok is denying opening a branch in Taiwan and says TikTok Taiwan has no ties to the Chinese app.
