TikTok admits it stores US user data in China, but doesn't give it to the Chinese government
TikTok, owned by ByteDance (China) and one of the fastest-growing social networking apps, has just admitted that "some content creator data" is stored in China, according to The Telegraph on June 24.
The news comes following intense public scrutiny of TikTok, amid national security concerns in the US due to the app's Chinese ownership.
In the letter, TikTok said it defines content creators as users “with whom there is a commercial relationship,” such as influencers who create content for a fee.
The letter, sent to two US congressmen, said the contracts and “relevant documents” of those content creators were kept outside the US.
Information about content creators such as tax forms and social security numbers is stored in China, Forbes magazine reported on June 22.
“The Chinese government has not asked TikTok to provide this data. TikTok has not provided this data to the Chinese government or ruling party, nor will TikTok,” a company spokesperson said.
US Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal issued a statement expressing concern about TikTok storing personal data of US citizens "within the reach of the Chinese government".
US state completely bans TikTok, what do residents think?
Many Western countries are concerned that data collected by TikTok from citizens' devices could be sifted by Chinese agents looking for valuable targets to spy on.
In February, the UK banned TikTok on government officials' devices.
TikTok has repeatedly stressed, however, that it does not work with Beijing on those issues. Last month, TikTok sued after the US state of Montana banned residents from installing the app.
The ban is expected to take effect next year and is said by TikTok to violate Americans' free speech rights and be "based on fundamental misconceptions".
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