China, TikTok role in anti-Israel college protests is ‘an act of war,’ expert says
Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang compares the 2020 riots to what's taking place on U.S. college campuses as a popular app plays a significant role.
China may be playing a significant role in the anti-Israel protests by using TikTok to foment division on college campuses.
Gordon Chang, a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and vocal critic of the Communist Party of China, said the adversary’s actions are an "act of war" as it uses the "curation algorithm of TikTok" to instigate protests.
"We know of the Hamas videos on that platform [TikTok] – 96.5% of them support the terrorist group. And this echoes what China did in 2020," Chang said.
"In 2020, an intelligence unit of the People’s Liberation Army went to the now closed Houston consulate. They used big data to identify Americans likely to participate in Antifa and Black Lives Matter protests, and then they sent them tailor-made videos on TikTok on how to riot," he explained.
In recent weeks, anti-Israel protests have been taking place at some of America’s most prestigious universities as students show their solidarity with the Palestinian people amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Due to the lackluster response from university officials to curb the escalating issue, some of the protests have grown unruly and resulted in canceled classes as well as leaving Jewish students fearful.
"China did it in 2020. It’s doing it now," Chang stressed as he reacted to the scenes unraveling on campuses.
A Reuters Ipsos poll found that 58% of Americans believe that the Chinese government uses TikTok to influence America’s public opinion.
Critics of the popular social media app argue that it’s a gateway to Chinese surveillance and leaves U.S. national security and Americans vulnerable.
"I think President Biden has a constitutional obligation to ban the app right away because of what is happening," the expert stressed.
In March, the House passed a bipartisan bill that could pave the way for a TikTok ban as the app would no longer be accessible in U.S. app stores.