TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made an appearance at a TED Talks event in Vancouver on Thursday to address concerns about data security on the popular social media platform. Chew stated that TikTok’s data has never been stored in China, and that legacy data on their servers in the United States and Singapore would be deleted by the end of the year. This announcement comes after TikTok has been under intense scrutiny over concerns that user data could be handed over to the Chinese government or used to promote pro-Beijing propaganda.
Chew testified before the U.S. Congress in March, where he asked lawmakers not to pursue a ban on the app or force parent company ByteDance to give up its ownership stake. He emphasized that TikTok prioritizes the safety of young users and announced that all U.S. user data would be stored on servers maintained and owned by software giant Oracle.
During the TED Talks appearance, Chew also spoke about the company’s mission to inspire creativity and bring joy, stating that users will be heard and have the chance to succeed as long as they have talent. The conversation also touched on the possibility of users becoming addicted to the platform, to which Chew responded that the company actively works to suppress that behavior by proactively sending videos to encourage users to take a break.
Chew’s appearance at the TED Talks event comes as TikTok continues to face scrutiny from governments and other companies around the world. The Canadian and U.S. governments have both banned TikTok’s app on government-issued cellphones, and TikTok has been banned by other companies in various countries. Chew’s statements about data security and the company’s efforts to store U.S. data on «American soil by an American company, overseen by American personnel» are likely intended to assuage concerns about TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government.