TikTok has reportedly suggested implementing an independent, third-party monitoring system to examine the app’s algorithms and determine whether the Chinese government is accessing data on American users.
Under this proposed plan, U.S.-based tech companies like Oracle would be tasked with reviewing the code that governs how TikTok selects videos for users and manages content removal.
This proposed change is part of TikTok’s effort to reassure U.S. lawmakers that it is not permitting Beijing to spy on American users of the popular video-sharing app.
Additionally, TikTok has offered to establish a subsidiary named TikTok US Data Security (USDS). This subsidiary would be overseen by an external board of directors with a “primary fiduciary responsibility” to the U.S. government.
The USDS is expected to hire 2,500 employees to monitor the app’s safety protocols. Importantly, none of these hires would be Chinese nationals, as the subsidiary would be accountable to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the Journal reported.
CFIUS is a federal agency operating under the Treasury Department, responsible for reviewing foreign investment transactions in the U.S.
TikTok has been in discussions with CFIUS for the past two years, working to meet the Biden administration’s requirements to ensure American data is protected from potential surveillance.
A TikTok spokesperson told: “We are not waiting for an agreement to be in place. We’ve made substantial progress on implementing that solution over the past year and look forward to completing that work to put these concerns to rest.”
If an agreement is not reached, the Biden administration might compel ByteDance to divest the U.S. division of TikTok or ban the app from the U.S. altogether.
Several governors have already moved to prohibit state employees from using TikTok on government-issued devices due to security concerns.
ByteDance has consistently denied accusations that TikTok engages in espionage on behalf of the Chinese government.
TikTok has surged in popularity in recent years, especially among Gen Z millennials who have shifted away from major social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
It is estimated that TikTok has over 700 million active users globally, with around 100 million in the United States—a sharp increase from just 11 million American users in 2018.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, told The Post: “Certain U.S. politicians’ comments are just groundless slanders.”
“The company concerned is a private enterprise that conducts business in the U.S. in accordance with market principles and international rules and complies with U.S. laws and regulations,” the spokesperson said. “The U.S. government should give it fair, just, and non-discriminatory treatment.”
