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In response to an inquiry from lawmakers, TikTok countered latest experiences about its information practices and has shared plenty of particulars about the way it limits Chinese language entry to consumer information within the U.S.
Following a BuzzFeed report that Chinese language ByteDance engineers had sweeping entry to U.S. consumer information for a time frame, fourteen Republican lawmakers and a Republican commissioner from the FCC penned varied demanding TikTok present solutions about its privateness and safety.
Amid requires a ban, TikTok formally responded on Thursday in a letter dated June 30. Within the letter, obtained by The New York Instances, the corporate pushed again on the BuzzFeed report, saying that its claims had been “incorrect” and “not supported by information.” It additionally gave particulars about the way it protects consumer information within the U.S.
“We’re proud to have the ability to serve a worldwide group of greater than a billion individuals who use TikTok to creatively specific themselves and be entertained,” the corporate wrote. “We all know we’re among the many most scrutinized platforms from a safety standpoint, and we intention to take away any doubt concerning the safety of U.S. consumer information.”
For instance, TikTok acknowledged that China-based workers might have entry to U.S. consumer information, however solely after being topic to a “collection of strong cybersecurity controls and authorization approval protocols overseen by our U.S.-based safety workforce.”
The corporate additionally says it has lengthy saved U.S. consumer information on servers in each the U.S. and Singapore. It added that it has not been requested by Chinese language authorities officers for any U.S. consumer information, and acknowledged that it would not present it adjust to orders to take action.
Moreover, TikTok shared particulars about an inner endeavor dubbed “Challenge Texas” that seeks to “assist construct belief with customers and key stakeholders.” The challenge is concentrated on evaluating and revising TikTok inner insurance policies and operational controls.
This is not the primary time that the U.S. authorities has scrutinized TikTok. Again in 2020, the Trump Administration tried to get ByteDance to promote TikTok to a U.S.-based agency beneath risk of a complete ban within the nation.
Since then, nonetheless, plans to pressure a sale of TikTok to U.S. firms seems to have fizzled out beneath President Joe Biden.
