The White House’s support for a bill that would grant it the authority to ban Chinese-owned apps nationwide has prompted this action.
As political pressure mounts in the US to ban TikTok, the social video app has unveiled its data security strategy to safeguard user information throughout Europe. The initiative, dubbed “Project Clover,” involves storing user data on servers located in Ireland and Norway, at an estimated cost of €1.2bn (£1.1bn) per year. Additionally, any data transfers outside of Europe will undergo scrutiny by a third-party IT company. TikTok’s links to its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, have drawn scrutiny in both the US and Europe. The White House recently expressed support for a Senate bill that would grant the administration the authority to ban TikTok nationwide, while FBI director Christopher Wray voiced national security concerns over the app during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
TikTok has refuted claims that its Chinese government can access or manipulate its data and algorithms, stating that it stores its global user data in the US and Singapore. TikTok’s Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy in Europe, Theo Bertram, stated that the Chinese government has not requested any data, and if it did, TikTok would refuse. The social media platform, which boasts over 1 billion users worldwide and 150 million in Europe, previously announced plans to store data on two servers in Ireland. However, under Project Clover, it has now revealed that it will also use a datacenter in Norway for the same purpose, with the combined use of Irish and Norwegian data servers estimated to cost €1.2bn annually.
TikTok’s proposed data security strategy for Europe, known as Project Clover, bears resemblance to its Project Texas plan aimed at reassuring the US about user data. The US plan entails storing data from American users on servers located in the US, managed by technology firm Oracle. In addition, Oracle will monitor TikTok’s algorithms and source code, with the aim of allaying fears that the Chinese government could impact the app’s content. The company will also vet updates and distribute them to the Google and Apple app stores.
The European Commission recently prohibited the use of TikTok on work phones and devices, while the European Parliament has also banned the app on staff phones. Despite calls from Conservative politicians, including former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, the UK government has dismissed the idea of a similar ban. Michelle Donelan, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, stated that there is no justification for a ban as there is no evidence to support it. She also noted that such an action would be a drastic move and would require a substantial evidence base.
