TikTok said it will delete U.S. user data from its servers, as promised by CEO Shou Zi Chew.
(Photo : Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
In this photo illustration, a mobile phone can be seen displaying the logos for Chinese apps WeChat and TikTok in front of a monitor showing the flags of the United States and China on an internet page, on September 22, 2020 in Beijing, China.
The app's chief executive officer shared this plan after his first appearance before the U.S. Congress on Thursday, Mar. 23.
Chew explained that the U.S. user data deletion plan is a part of TikTok's Project Texas. But, will this promise help TikTok avoid a possible nationwide ban?
TikTok to Delete US User Data From Servers
According to Tech Crunch's latest report, the TikTok CEO promised that U.S. user data will be deleted from its servers before 2023 ends.
(Photo : Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew listens as he testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on "TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms," on Capitol Hill, March 23, 2023, in Washington, DC.
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This is just among the efforts that TikTok will do to prevent the U.S. government from banning the app over national security concerns.
However, some U.S. officials still believe that the online video platform should be banned. These include Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the chair of the House of Energy and Commerce Committee.
She said that the social media platform should be restricted since she believes that Chew will say anything to avoid the outcome.
"We aren't buying it. In fact, when you celebrate the 150 million American users on TikTok, it emphasizes the urgency for Congress to act," she explained via CNN Business.
Chew Defended TikTok
During the opening remarks of Chew, the TikTok leader said that the app is not available in mainland China.
To stress TikTok's independence from the Chinese nation and to highlight its ties with the United States, he clarified that they are headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore.
The TikTok CEO further stated that they have over 7,000 employees in the United States. Aside from this, he also talked about data collection activities, saying that other companies in the social media industry are also doing these.
As of writing, it is hard to tell if Chew's statements can convince the U.S. government to cancel its nationwide ban plan.
In other news, a recent study claimed that TikTok's FYP automatically shows self-harm videos to young users. We also reported that BBC mandated its employees to remove the TikTok app from their corporate devices.
For more news updates about TikTok and other social media apps, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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