TikTok’s CEO is opening up about the controversy surrounding the platform.
The news comes as the US picks up the pace in terms of cracking down against the ByteDance-owned firm. President Biden did reveal how the only way out to prevent a total ban of the app in the country was to sell out stakes or face the consequences.
And as you can imagine, it’s not the type of news that anyone would wish to hear.
Shou Zi Chew claims that even if the sellout goes ahead, it just won’t be enough to ward off the great scrutiny-linked security concerns that have been looming over the app for months.
The assertion by the CEO was made right after several breaking reports delineated how the American Government explained to TikTok that it needed to take a step back from ByteDance or else it would be banned in the country.
This divestment is not going to solve the issue, the CEO adds and even mentioned how changes in ownership wouldn’t give rise to new restrictions regarding data flow or associated access.
But the reports are alarming and Chew says that America and other nations are still going to have concerns regarding how those handling the app take care of user data, in case the owner changes.
Officials have similarly expressed great fear on the matter that Chinese officials would get access to such data that’s related to residents.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal for a recent interview, the TikTok CEO says that such measures are not the solution to the problem. It just will not give rise to more protection of user data beyond those that it’s already affiliated with.
For a while now, TikTok has proven over time how it’s busy trying to protect the data of Americans from reaching the hands of China. It plans to do that by routing it via Oracle servers that place safeguards including third-party oversight of different algorithms.
The app continues to spend billions on this plan and it refers to it as Project Texas. Moreover, it claims to be working on the endeavor for the past two years to try and address American security concerns.
It was first considered a controversial matter when Donald Trump tried to force TikTok’s parent firm to sell the app. Now, we’re hearing how the company is making plans to launch a similar initiative for users in Europe.
Photo: Bloomberg / Getty Images
Read next: Banning TikTok in the U.S. can cause collateral damage to American companies in China
The news comes as the US picks up the pace in terms of cracking down against the ByteDance-owned firm. President Biden did reveal how the only way out to prevent a total ban of the app in the country was to sell out stakes or face the consequences.
And as you can imagine, it’s not the type of news that anyone would wish to hear.
Shou Zi Chew claims that even if the sellout goes ahead, it just won’t be enough to ward off the great scrutiny-linked security concerns that have been looming over the app for months.
The assertion by the CEO was made right after several breaking reports delineated how the American Government explained to TikTok that it needed to take a step back from ByteDance or else it would be banned in the country.
This divestment is not going to solve the issue, the CEO adds and even mentioned how changes in ownership wouldn’t give rise to new restrictions regarding data flow or associated access.
But the reports are alarming and Chew says that America and other nations are still going to have concerns regarding how those handling the app take care of user data, in case the owner changes.
Officials have similarly expressed great fear on the matter that Chinese officials would get access to such data that’s related to residents.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal for a recent interview, the TikTok CEO says that such measures are not the solution to the problem. It just will not give rise to more protection of user data beyond those that it’s already affiliated with.
For a while now, TikTok has proven over time how it’s busy trying to protect the data of Americans from reaching the hands of China. It plans to do that by routing it via Oracle servers that place safeguards including third-party oversight of different algorithms.
The app continues to spend billions on this plan and it refers to it as Project Texas. Moreover, it claims to be working on the endeavor for the past two years to try and address American security concerns.
It was first considered a controversial matter when Donald Trump tried to force TikTok’s parent firm to sell the app. Now, we’re hearing how the company is making plans to launch a similar initiative for users in Europe.
Photo: Bloomberg / Getty Images
Read next: Banning TikTok in the U.S. can cause collateral damage to American companies in China
