The world’s most popular app, Chinese-owned TikTok, is turning to Texas in its latest effort to gain acceptance from the U.S. government.
The short-form video platform, whose parent company ByteDance is based in Beijing, became the most downloaded app worldwide in the first quarter of 2022, according to Sensor Tower, an analytics firm. But successive administrations have been wary of TikTok amid concerns over its data security and potential to influence the U.S.’s information environment. President Trump attempted to ban the app, while Commerce Department officials are currently responsible for drawing up rules that could affect its operations in the U.S..
TikTok’s attempts to address these issues include a new plan to sequester data from its users in the U.S. in servers run by Texas-based tech giant Oracle, according to Reuters reporting — theoretically putting the information beyond the reach of the Chinese authorities.
Whether or not such a move will be enough
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