Tik-Tok, a 15-second video streaming and creating platform has told US senators that it is taking all necessary steps to limit access to users’ data from outside the United States, including by employees of its parent company, the Chinese group ByteDance.
In a letter addressed to the 9 lawmakers, the CEO of TikTok Shou Zi Chew on Thursday explained how the company would operate the app from servers controlled by Oracle, the US cloud computing giant.
He also reiterated a plan to store US users’ personal information with Oracle, rather than on TikTok’s servers.
“We know we are among the most scrutinized platforms from a security standpoint, and we aim to remove any doubt about the security of US user data,” Chew said in the statement cited by The New York Times.
In its letter on Thursday, TikTok confirmed claims made in a BuzzFeed article that employees based in China had access to US users' data, but only within "robust cybersecurity controls and authorization approval protocols" overseen by the company's "U.S.-based security team."