TikTok CEO argues division from ByteDance won’t solve security concerns

Hotstar in UAE
Hotstar in UAE

It’s no secret that TikTok’s mishandling of user data has put the company in a lot of trouble, including the US government’s push for the app to divest from its parent company, ByteDance, or face a national ban. However, TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, has now claimed that even if they sell off the US division, concerns over data privacy and security would persist. Instead, the company aims to address the issues with the help of Project Texas.

“I do welcome feedback on what other risk we are talking about that is not addressed by this, and so far I haven’t heard anything that cannot actually be solved by this,” said Chew in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.

Chew’s remarks came in response to fears that China could gain access to user data through TikTok. Lawmakers worry that the Chinese government might compel ByteDance to share user data and demand changes to the content that TikTok’s algorithms show to Americans. Furthermore, the FBI’s recent investigation into ByteDance’s alleged access to the data of US journalists has added to the existing concerns and criticisms of the company’s data handling practices.

What is Project Texas?

While the company’s CEO has denied the US government’s request for divestiture, TikTok hopes to address the security concerns with Project Texas. The initiative aims to protect US user data by routing it through domestic Oracle servers and allowing third-party oversight of the app’s algorithms. TikTok claims they have invested billions of dollars in this project and are also looking forward to expanding the project in the EU.

Despite these safeguards, a former employee of TikTok’s trust and safety team has claimed there are significant flaws with Project Texas, as the Chinese government could still access US user data through TikTok. In response to these concerns, Chew argued that the project will prevent China from accessing US user data, regardless of any changes to Chinese law.

“The idea behind Project Texas is it won’t matter what the Chinese law or any law says, because we’re taking U.S. user data and we’re putting it out of their reach. You’re talking about real concerns, I think these are the real solutions,” said Chew.

2023-03-20 15:06:21