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| Tik Tok: We are not a security threat but we are caught in a geopolitical conflict |
TikTok reiterates that it does not pose any threat to the national security of the United States and reassures users that it will be included in the foreseeable future.
“We do not pose a threat to national security, and we've said that over and over again…” Vanessa Papas, TikTok's US executive director, said in an interview with NBC's Today program on Wednesday. "We have very strict data controls and a great team to build a world class infrastructure," she added.
The Chinese-owned short video app is under pressure from the White House, which has pledged to block the app if parent company ByteDance does not sell or liquidate its US operations by November 12.
US President Donald Trump said in an executive order last week: "There is strong evidence to convince me that ByteDance ... can take actions that threaten the national security of the United States."
Pappas has repeatedly denied allegations made by the Trump administration about the transfer of user data to China. The company said, US user data is stored in the US and backups in Singapore. It also indicated that the data center is completely outside of China and not all data is subject to Chinese law.
When asked what the president described as a real threat, Pappas pointed to the growing geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing. She said, "We are at the heart of this (tension)." This: Microsoft and Oracle in the US are negotiating the acquisition of TikTok's US business.
Papas declined to comment on a potential deal, but insisted he was confident in the app's future. She said, "TikTok can take a long time." "We are confident in the future. For the millions of Americans who use the app every day, we strive to offer them the same experience now and in the future," she added.