According to recent reports, TikTok global chief security officer, Roland Cloutier, said that the company will be open to regulators, governments, and commercial entities to review and test the source code of TikTok. According to Cloutier, TikTok’s source code is not the same as Douyin’s (TikTok Chinese version). It is worth mentioning that allowing some entities to review the source code is a routine operation of the Data Transparency Center. This does not mean that Tiktok will display all of its source code.
For example, Microsoft has a Data Transparency Center which is open to major governments. Here, they can view and test Microsoft’s products and display/discuss their product security issues. According to recent reports, TikTok, Oracle, and Walmart have reached a preliminary cooperation plan. Oracle will become TikTok’s data security compliance partner. The two parties will carry out data security compliance cooperation similar to Apple’s in China. However, this cooperation does not involve technology and algorithm transfer.
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As of now, the negotiations surrounding TikTok are still inconclusive. However, the technology export license application that ByteDance has already submitted to the Ministry of Commerce will be processed in accordance with relevant regulations and procedures.
TikTok ban is still pending
Presently, relevant authorities in the U.S. and China are looking into the proposal by TikTok, Oracle and Walmart. If there is no meaningful conclusion, the TikTok download ban will commence at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. TikTok has now taken the American government to court to try to halt the ban. Interestingly, it appears that the Chinese company will get what it needs.
A federal judge has given the U.S. government until Friday to postpone the ban. Alternatively, the American government can appear in court to defend the ban. U.S. District Judge, Carl Nichols, said the government must respond to TikTok’s preliminary injunction or postpone the relevant injunction.
However, the U.S. President stated that he has “in principle” agreed to the solution received by the U.S. government regarding TikTok. The program does not involve technology and algorithm transfer. “I have already expressed my blessing to this deal…I agreed to this deal in principle”, Trump told reporters when he left the White House yesterday for a campaign rally in Fayetteville, New Carolina. However, it appears that this acceptance “in principle” will allow US users to continue to use the Chinese short video app. Nevertheless, there is still a need for a final and formal agreement of all parties.
