Short video platform company Beijing ByteDance is suspected of setting up a branch in Taiwan and conducting business illegally. The Mainland Affairs Council states that it has been actively investigating this matter for criminal offenses.
ByteDance has been expanding overseas. According to the economics ministry, the company "Shengyang International Biotechnology Co., Ltd.," established in March 2018, was approved to change its name in November. The new registration is "ByteDance Taiwan Co., Ltd."
Cross-strait regulations stipulate that Chinese online social platform services companies are not allowed to operate in Taiwan. If the branch is related to China’s Bytedance, it may be in violation of these regulations.
The Mainland Affairs Council says that China has used short video platforms such as TikTok to infiltrate other countries. It says investigations of TikTok earlier this month have found suspected violations endangering Taiwan’s information security.
The council warns that there is a high risk that user personal information can be collected by the Chinese government through use of these social platforms. This potential security risk has attracted the attention of various countries who are taking relevant countermeasures.