TikTok’s Global Chief Security Officer Roland Cloutier is stepping down amid intense scrutiny from the US authorities, effective September 2, the company has announced.
The short-form video app said that in view of the recent data security challenge, it’s taking more steps to prioritize the security and privacy of the company’s global community.
“With our recent announcement about data management changes in the US, it’s time for me to transition from my role as Global Chief Security Officer into a strategic advisory role focusing on the business impact of security and trust programs, working directly with Shou, Dingkun and other senior leaders,” Cloutier said in a statement.
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The shakeup was prompted by a report made last month by BuzzFeed which revealed that some TikTok’s employees in China have access to US users’ data.
TikTok’s US operations have been placed under the radar since former President Donald attempted to ban it over concern that it is being used by Beijing as a back door to the private data of Americans.
Though the company has made a lot of changes to its security architecture, including establishing relationships with top public, private, and governmental organizations – like the National Cybersecurity Alliance, Identity Theft Awareness Center, Global Cyber Alliance, Europol, and INTERPOL, there is still a lot of gap to be filled.
This is because its operations are tied to ByteDance, its parent company headquartered in Beijing, China. TikTok acknowledged in a blog statement that staying ahead of next-generation cyberthreats requires continuously strengthening the security of its platform. The situation has been exacerbated by the report that its US data is accessible in China, forcing changes also in the company’s roles.
“Part of our evolving approach has been to minimize concerns about the security of user data in the US, including the creation of a new department to manage US user data for TikTok. This is an important investment in our data protection practices, and it also changes the scope of the Global Chief Security Officer (CSO) role,” TikTok said in a statement.
“With this in mind, Roland has decided to step back from his day-to-day operations as Global CSO, effective September 2nd. He will take on the role of strategic advisor to the company, continuing to work together with senior leadership to help us focus on the business impact of our security and trust programs,’ it added.
US lawmakers have increased their warning about TiKTok’s operations, prompting an FCC Commissioner to ask Google and Apple to remove the app from their app stores.
In response to the BuzzFeed report, TikTok has outlined some steps it is taking to address the security concerns. They include: Establishing a new department with US-based leadership, to solely manage US user data for TikTok, routing 100% of US user traffic to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and working with Oracle on several measures as part of its commercial relationship to better safeguard the app, systems, and the security of US user data.