By Canadian Press

‘Our data has never been stored in China,’ TikTok CEO tells Ted Talks

Apr 20, 2023 | 4:21 PM

VANCOUVER — The CEO of TikTok dropped into a Ted Talks in Vancouver to address concerns over data security on his social media platform. 

Shou Zi Chew told Chris Anderson, the head of Ted Talks, that TikTok data has never been stored in China and while they have some legacy data to be deleted on their servers in the United States and Singapore, that will be completed this year.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, has been under intense scrutiny over concerns it could hand over user data to the Chinese government or promote pro-Beijing propaganda. 

Both the Canadian and U.S. governments have banned TikTok’s app on government-issued cellphones and other companies around the world have done the same. 

Chew says his team has already built an unprecedented project which allows them to store U.S. data on “American soil by an American company, overseen by American personnel.”

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At the end of the conversation, Chew and Anderson made a TikTok video together, which Chew said he hoped would go viral.

A spokeswoman from TikTok says Chew is also visiting Vancouver to meet with some Canadian creators to learn about the impact TikTok has had on their lives, livelihoods and communities.

— With files from Tara Deschamps and The Associated Press 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in April. 20, 2023.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press