TikTok on Friday took another step in trying to allay security concerns about its user data in the United States. The popular social video app said in a blog post that it has changed the default location of user data in the United States, with “100% of consumer traffic in the United States going to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.”
TikTok has been in conflict for a long time verification of national security concerns, including that the app could give the Chinese government access to US user data. In 2020, the US government under President Donald Trump ordered ByteDance, the Beijing-based parent company of the app, to sell TikTok. However, the sale was not imposed by the Biden administration.
Although TikTok has repeatedly said it does not share user data with the Chinese government, it is still partnering with Oracle as part of its efforts to address US national security concerns.
Previously, TikTok stored US user data in the US, with a backup in Singapore. The company said Friday that these data centers continue to be used as backups as they work to “fully target Oracle’s cloud servers located in the United States.” He added that he plans to eventually delete the personal data of American users from his own data centers.
“We know we are among the most scrutinized security platforms, and we strive to dispel any doubts about U.S. consumer security,” wrote Albert Kalamug, who works on U.S. public security policy for TikTok. in the blog on Friday.
Even with these steps, concerns remain about who might have access to data in the United States, no matter where it is. On Friday, BuzzFeed News reported that “China-based ByteDance employees have repeatedly had access to non-public data about TikTok users in the United States,” citing leaked audio from the company’s internal meetings. Engineers in China reportedly had access to US data between September 2021 and January 2022, although the timeframe may be longer.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but spokeswoman Maureen Shanahan told BuzzFeed News that “they are constantly working to validate our security standards and attract reputable, independent third parties to test our protection.”