TikTok mulls big changes to distance itself from China amid mounting criticism worldwide

TikTok’s parent company Bytedance is reportedly planning to bring changes to its corporate structure, aimed at distancing the social networking service from China. According to a Bloomberg report, the growing concerns in the United States over the safety of the app due to its China connection has prompted executives to consider options to distance its operations from Beijing.

The company executives are reportedly mulling over the options of creating a new management board for TikTok and establish a separate headquarters outside China. TikTok said in a statement that the social media firm will move forward in the best interest of users, employees, artists, creators, partners, and policymakers.

India recently banned 59 Chinese Apps, including TikTok, stating that it has received many complaints from various sources about the misuse of these apps. The Ministry of Home Affairs said that the apps were used to steal and surreptitiously transmit users’ data in an unauthorised manner to servers located outside India. Calling it a move to protect the sovereignty of Indian Cyberspace, the government said that it was a major blow to China’s Digital Silk Route ambitions.

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'Constant evaluation'

Trump administration has also indicated a possible ban on TikTok, calling it a part of the constant evaluation to ensure the privacy of American citizens. During a press conference on July 8, State Secretary Mike Pompeo asserted that the government will take steps to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from accessing private information.

“We are now evaluating each instance where we believe that the Chinese Communist Party does not have an easy way to access the American citizens' phones, systems and healthcare records,” said Pompeo.

Earlier this week, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Christopher Wray warned that China poses “greatest long-term threat” to intellectual property and economic vitality of the US. In a nearly hour-long conversation on China’s attempt to influence US institutions, Wray presented a stark picture of Chinese interference to become the world's only superpower by any means necessary.

“If you are an American adult, it is more likely than not that China has stolen your personal data,” he said, warning against alleged data theft by Chinese companies.

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