Content creators who wish to be paid for their work on TikTok are required to disclose a range of private data to the platform, including their social security and tax identification numbers. This data is classified as highly sensitive by data protection officials, and it has come to light that this information has been stored on servers in China for the last several years.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew had previously testified in Congress that all data of American users is stored on US servers and is strictly monitored. However, it now appears that TikTok employees use Chinese collaboration platforms to process complaints and identify the authors of inappropriate content, potentially giving Chinese employees access to personal data of US and European users.
The financial data of content creators is particularly sensitive, as obtaining social security and tax identification numbers could lead to identity theft. TikTok uses internal tools and databases from its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, to manage payments to content creators around the world.
Forbes reports that the highly sensitive data of content creators and companies active on TikTok is stored in China, raising concerns over which TikTok or ByteDance employees have access to this information. Even with limited access, security experts warn that Chinese secret services could potentially access this data.
TikTok and ByteDance have not addressed the fundamental question of whether the highly sensitive data of US users is stored in China or is accessible there. Data protection experts urge caution and transparency from the companies to ensure the safety and privacy of all users.
