In a letter released by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), TikTok is accused of repeatedly allowing Americans’ private data to be stored and accessed in China, contrary to previous assurances by TikTok executives. The senators reference recent press reports that highlight a pattern of misleading statements by TikTok executives, especially regarding the storage of American user data. One specific concern raised is the Forbes report alleging that TikTok stored financial information, including Social Security numbers and tax data, of American “creators” in China through its Creators Fund. The senators question TikTok’s Head of Public Policy Michael Beckerman’s previous assurance to Congress that U.S. user data is only stored in the U.S. and backed up in Singapore.
The Forbes report focused on TikTok’s Creators Fund, which promotes content from paying users without disclosing that sensitive financial information is stored in China. Additionally, a New York Times report revealed how TikTok employees routinely swap user data on an internal messaging app run by ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company. TikTok responded to the senators, maintaining that while U.S. and Singapore data centers serve as default storage locations, access to U.S. user data has historically been available to employees globally based on their job function.
The senators, however, argue that TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, provided misleading information to congressional committees in the past, and they question the accuracy of TikTok’s claims regarding data storage locations. In their letter, Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn accuse TikTok of deceptive practices, pointing out discrepancies in statements made by TikTok executives about the storage locations of U.S. user data. TikTok responded by asserting its commitment to enhancing data protection policies to build confidence in its systems and controls in the United States, signaling an ongoing effort to address concerns raised by lawmakers.
