TikTok Tells US Lawmakers It Does Not Give Information To China's Government, Says Data Is Safe

During a U.S. congressional hearing on Tuesday, TikTok denied sharing any data with the Chinese government and said it had taken steps to safeguard the data.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump had sought to bar TikTok from U.S. app stores, saying it collected data from American users that China's government could obtain and posed a threat to U.S. national security.

However, President Joe Biden later revoked Trump's plan but sought a broader review of various foreign-controlled apps.

During the hearing, Senator Marsha Blackburn said she is concerned about TikTok's data collection, including audio and a user's location. 

She says she worries if the Chinese government has gained access to the information.

TikTok, which China-based ByteDance owns, has said that outside researchers have found that TikTok has collected less data on users than its tech industry peers.  

It added that U.S. user data is stored in the United States, with backups in Singapore.

During the hearing, TikTok said it would be willing to provide the app's algorithm moderation policies for the Senate panel to have it reviewed by independent experts.